


Pieces on The Board

by jinxed_wood



Category: Vampire Diaries (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-05-25
Updated: 2013-11-06
Packaged: 2017-12-12 23:17:33
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 19
Words: 40,286
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/817213
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jinxed_wood/pseuds/jinxed_wood
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Klaus doesn't like being played for a fool, and bad things happen when Klaus is angry. As the witches scramble to strike a new deal and Hayley makes plans of her own, the inevitable war in New Orleans brews to a head. Once again, Caroline finds herself straggling the line in the middle, and finds that her once clear cut sense of loyalty is more divided than she'd like to admit.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I must be nuts for even attempting this but season four is now over and I'm still not quite able to let go, so fanfiction it is. Here's a wee prologue. It has Hayley in it, mea culpa if anyone out there is allergic to her - I should, however, point out that the endgame in this story will be klaroline... but there will plot in between here and there, sorry, I like plot. (Also, this was started before the new series aired, so this stroy's Hayley is the TVD version, not the TO)

PROLOGUE: Knight Takes Castle

Eight weeks.

He had played the role of Marcel's lackey for eight weeks and he still hadn't had a whiff of a word from the Devereux witch about her plan of attack. Patience had never been his forte and, as far as he was concerned, he had waited long enough. It was time to move things along.

They'd probably thought the stench of the swamp would mask their trail but they had underestimated the sensitivity of a Hybrid's nose. He had found the cabin easily and could hear the level breathing of a sleeping werewolf from the moment he stepped into the clearing. He took in the log walls, the rustic porch and tin chimney above, with its thin white-blue whirl of smoke. So this was where they were keeping her; very bijou. He smirked as he climbed onto the porch and tapped on the door. The hitch in her breath told him she'd awoken.

"C'mon, love," he said. "No sense in drawing it out. Besides, it's bad manners to keep the father of your child on your doorstep." Still no answer, he couldn't even hear her breath anymore, just the thud of her heartbeat and the answering echo of the child's. "Do you really think that holding your breath will confuse me, little wolf, I can still hear the patter of your heart. Open this door or I'll huff and I'll puff and I'll-"

The door jerked open as words jumbled out of her mouth at breakneck speed. "You can't come in," she said, stepping back out of his reach. She'd obviously heard about the little incident with Caroline… curious. He leaned against the doorway, giving her his best dimpled smile. Fear tainted her scent even as her chin tilted up.

"No need to be like that, love," he said "I come in peace-" He went still as he realised what was wrong with the picture in front of him; why the terror bled through her pours like a sour wine. He could still hear the infant's heartbeat - even and steady and oh so convincing - but it had been eight weeks since he'd last seen her and twelve weeks since he'd bedded her, and she was still not showing.

"What did they promise you," he asked lowly.

"My brother," she said. "I have a brother."

His lips curled up humourlessly. "A fair exchange, an un-conceived baby for a recently deceased brother."

Her eyes narrowed. "He's not dead."

He quirked an eyebrow at her as stepped down from the porch. "Oh, come on, love. You're not that naive. You had to have known that you couldn't have kept up this charade forever. You knew there'd be consequences."

And there it was, that quick snap of rage in her eyes that told him the wolf was calling the shots. She leapt at him, lips curled back in a snarl…only to be thrown backwards from the door as a threshold barrier slammed up. So somebody had been taking notes in Mystic Falls. He started to laugh.

"Katherine," he said as he slipped away from the reaching light of the cabin windows and into the darkness.

"He's just a kid!" Hayley called after him.

He didn't bother answering. The boy's life was forfeit the moment she agreed to the witch's terms.

As was hers.


	2. King active, knight takes pawn

They stared at each other from their respective armchairs, the firelight casting a warm glow over the chilly atmosphere.

"Are you positive?" Elijah asked quietly.

"It was a ruse, Elijah, they played us for fools," Klaus said grimly. "I've been that witch's pawn for six weeks. We can't afford to let her live... and besides, I don't want to let her live. I don't like being made a fool of."

Elijah's mouth twisted before he sipped the last of the whiskey in his glass. "A pity, I liked her."

"Congratulations," Klaus said flatly. "You've once again confirmed your lousy taste in women. I've already checked that dive she owns. Her staff are on vervain and nobody was willing to give up her location."

"How much of a mess did you leave behind?"

"I cleaned up after myself, Brother," he slumped back into his chair, scowling. "She may have had some sort of perimeter spell on the cabin."

"Or Hayley has a cellphone," Elijah said dryly.

Hayley. Even her name filled him with rage. He clutched his hands into fists, feeling his fingernails lengthen into claws as they broke his skin. Curiously, the smell of his own blood calmed him.

"Hayley does have a cellphone," he drawled. "As does the witch. Perhap we should avail of a more modern means of tracking our prey."

Elijah examined the cuff of his shirt. "Rebekah is arriving in the morning. Perhap we should wait until then."

Klaus rolled his eyes. "Rebekah will be booking a room at a hotel. It's not as if she's staying in New Orlean for more than a couple of nights. She's going back to Mystic Falls with her human plaything."

"Perhaps, if you attempted to mend fences, she'd change her mind."

"And why would I want to do that, Elijah?" Klaus said. "She's made her choice and I've made mine."

"And so the same old story plays out," Elijah observed. "I have a contact who should be able to help us."

~8~

It wasn't Berkley.

It was an incredibly mean spirited thing to think and nobody had twisted her arm to come here. Her Mother had even tried to convince her that her salary would cover the gap between the scholarship and the bank loan. A small, shamed part of her couldn't pluck up the courage to tell her that it wasn't the money that held her back – she was a Vampire, for heaven's sake, she could make her fees disappear with literally a blink of the eye - no, it wasn't that.

The reason she couldn't resent not going to Berkley was because it was her who wasn't ready to let go. She wasn't an idiot. She knew her aversion to change wasn't a healthy one, especially for someone who is immortal…but another year wouldn't hurt, would it?

Except it already hurt. It was supposed to be her, Elena and Bonnie. Now it was only her and Elena left... and Elena had decided to get a place off campus to accommodate Damon's little night visits – and, if Caroline was completely honest with herself, Elena probably wanted get away from her too. Things were still awkward between them.

"It looks good," Stefan said, interrupting her thoughts as they approached her dormitory.

Caroline gave Stefan her best cheerleader smile. "The campus or the new talent?" she asked.

Stefan's smile turned into a smirk. "I'm not going to answer that question on the grounds that it might incriminate me."

"Very well, your honour - is that what it's going to be this time?" Caroline teased. "Stefan the law student?"

"I was actually thinking pre-med" he said, raising an eyebrow at her.

"Really? You think you'll be okay with the whole...grrr?"

"Yeah, I think I am, actually," he said. "It's been rocky but I think I've at last got a grip on the Ripper."

"Stef, that's amazing," she said, grabbing him into a tight hug. "You'll make a brilliant Doctor."

"Can't breathe..." Stefan huffed out.

Caroline let go. "You might have to work on your bedside manner," she said primly. "I'm pretty sure sarcasm isn't on the approved list of items to use on a patient. Come on, time to use some of that super strength of yours.

He gave her a wry look as he reached for a stack of boxes and followed her inside. The elevator, of course, was out of order.

"Seriously?" she said. "Some of us have lives to move onto the third floor today!"

"Good thing some us are also vampires," Stefan teased.

Caroline blew a dangling strand of hair out of her face as she shifted the weight of the box in her arms and pushed the stairwell door open with her hip. "Nobody likes a smart ass, Stefan."

"I'll take note."

Three flights later, they eventually made it onto Caroline's floor. She slowed as they neared her room.

"Do you smell that?"

Stefan wrinkled his nose. "Werewolf," he said. "One of Tyler's friends?"

Caroline gave him a non-committal smile. Tyler tended to keep his werewolf friends to himself. It was like he was determined to keep Caroline in a little box separate from everything else in his life, a life that had changed a lot over the last few months. When they were alone together, it still felt like the way it was meant to be, but once they left their little bubble, there was a distance between them there hadn't been there before. It was funny the changes a few months apart can make.

But Caroline Forbes was not a girl to give up easily. Like the song said, they weren't broke, they were just a little bent.

"Love the mini-fridge," Stefan observed, as he pushed the door open into room.

"What-" She laughed as she spotted the shiny brushed steel mini fridge propped on the table and already plugged into the wall.

Stefan raised an eyebrow. "Why do I get the feeling I'm missing the punchline?" he asked.

"Trust me, you don't want to know," she said, as she gave the door an experimental pull. A blood bag and a folded note was inside. Rolling her eyes, she took out the note and glanced at the familiar spiky handwriting.

"In case of emergencies. My Blood."

It was thoughtful, in a very Klaus way.

"I told you, wrapped around your little finger." Stefan said, looking over her shoulder.

She slapped his arm but didn't say anything. What could she say? Even Stefan, who was a bit more open-minded than the others about Klaus, felt uncomfortable about his attachment to her. God knows what he'd think if he knew about the texting.

"The blood might come in handy, with all the new werewolves in town," Stefan said, breaking into her thoughts.

"They're Tyler's friends," Caroline protested.

"They're Tyler's pack," Stefan said, correcting her. "And just because Tyler doesn't have a problem with us, doesn't mean they don't. Don't get complacent around them, Caroline."

Caroline gave him a long look. Stefan had always been a cynic but, since his trip out of town at the start of the summer, he had somehow become harder. Another change she wasn't sure she liked. She suspected it was because of the whole Elena picking Damon thing but she was afraid to ask, just in case she only succeeded in reopening the wound.

"Let's get the rest of your stuff," Stefan said, breaking the silence. "You're supposed to be meeting Tyler in a couple of hours, right?"

Yeah, he'd pencilled her in. Caroline brushed the sour thought aside, trying not to dwell on the fact it should be Tyler helping her move into her room. But apparently there were things she couldn't take for granted anymore.

"Yeah, lets go," She said.

~8~

Hayley waited for a few minutes, until she'd given them enough time to clear the floor, before she opened the door across from Caroline's room. Her hearing was keen but nowhere are good as a vampire's. So Charlie had been telling the truth, Klaus had pardoned Tyler.

She felt something in her chest constrict but steeled herself. She had more important things to do - like saving her brother, Bobby - and in order to do that, she had to betray Tyler again.

From the little she'd overheard, Caroline seemed unaware of Tyler's agenda. It seemed their time apart had generated secrets. She also doubted Caroline was going to tell Tyler Klaus was sending her gifts of his blood. She knew enough about hybrids to know they were as funny about blood sharing as vampires were.

She slid across the hall and slipped into Caroline's room. In a matter of moments, she had the blood bag zipped inside her jacket. She didn't want to examine too closely why she was taking it, it was crazy idea... but she needed every edge she could get, if she was going save Bobby and survive. She had one half of the recipe, now she only needed the other. The blood of a Doppelganger.

As luck would have it, she knew exactly where to find one – imprisoned in the Lockwood caves. Katherine was Tyler's ace in the hole and nobody knew he had her except his pack. Hayley needed that Ace and she was going to get it.

Luckily for her, Charlie still felt he owed her.


	3. King moves pawn, knight takes bishop

"Are you sure this is okay? Maybe we should wait until someone is home?" Matt asked, as he watched Rebekah lift a stone urn no human would have had a hope of overturning and retrieve a door key. The urn fell back onto the cobbled stone with a thud that Matt felt under his feet.

"Don't be silly. Somebody is home - me," Rebekah declared as she climbed onto the porch and opened the door. "This is our home, not just Klaus and Elijah's. I lived in this house for nearly twenty years. Sometimes I think this is the last place we were truly a family."

Matt shook his head, unsure as to whether Klaus and Elijah would be of the same opinion, but followed her inside anyway. It was a beautiful Garden District home. Not as big as the Lockwood mansion, but it still had the gracious proportions of an old family home, with its double gallery facade, tall columns and shuttered windows.

"My room is this way," Rebekah said. "We'll get settled in before I take you to dinner."

He smiled ruefully, amused by the Rebekah's gleeful insistence on treating him like a 'kept' man. It was sort of fun, he had to admit, although maybe he only thought that because he knew there was an expiration date coming up; only three more days before it was time to go back to Mystic Falls and his real life.

He sobered at the thought. Two months ago, when he'd first agreed to her whistle stop tour of the world, Bekah was just a cute, if somewhat scary, girl. The Bekah he knew now was so much bigger than one he'd known in Mystic falls. He hadn't realised how much she'd camouflaged her real self at home, hidden her age under her cheerleader attitude and fashionable clothes. Why had she done it, he wondered, hadn't it have all been incredibly tedious for her?.

"Penny for your thoughts?" she asked, as she grabbed his hand and dragged him towards the sweeping stairs.

"I was just thinking about home," he said.

"Ah, ah, that's against the rules, remember?" Rebekah said archly. "And besides…" her words drifted off as her head tilted to the side. He was familiar enough with her mannerisms to know she'd heard something.

"Bekah?" he said, prompting her.

"My brothers are back," she said. "They don't sound happy."

Matt sighed as they appeared as if out of thin air. He didn't think he'd ever get used to how quickly vampires could move.

"Rebekah," Elijah said, in that low, serious tone of his. "This is not a good time to have…guests."

Well at least he didn't call him dinner, Matt thought. "Perhaps I should go on upstairs while you talk this out," he suggested.

"No, Matt," Rebekah said, her grip on his hand tightening. "There's nothing to discuss. You're my guest and that's that."

"Oh, by all means, let the human stay," Klaus drawled. "Perhaps he could join us for dinner. I'm feeling a bit peckish." Matt resisted the urge to roll his eyes. A night among vampires without a dinner joke had been too to ask for, after all.

"I'd ask you to refrain from calling Matt a meal, Nik, but we both know that common courtesy is not really your thing," Rebekah snapped.

Elijah let out a sigh. "Can we have this discussion later? We have matters to take care of."

"And what matters would that be?" Rebekah asked. "Please tell me you haven't picked up a new obsession while I've been gone. It isn't that baby thing still, is it?"

"Apparently, rumours of my impending fatherhood have been greatly exaggerated," Klaus said. "The whole thing was a contrivance cooked up by the witches and the werewolf to make me heel."

"Good hybrid," Rebekah mocked. "I presume you've made them pay for their indiscretions. "

"It's a work in progress," Elijah admitted. "Nobody in this city is willing to do a location spell and both the witch and the werewolf have dumped their phones."

"Well, I guess you'll have to do an old fashioned stake out at the witches bar, then," Rebekah said, amused.

"Our faces are too well known and witches can always smell out a compelled human," Elijah said. "It makes things problematic." Matt suddenly felt the weight of Elijah's eyes and sensed Rebekah stiffen beside him.

"Don't even think of it, Elijah," she said. "He's not a pawn in your game."

"They won't suspect him, Rebekah. He's one hundred percent human," Elijah said. "He doesn't have to engage, he just has to text us if Sophie turns up at her establishment."

"We're on holiday," Rebekah said. "And whatever sad little vendetta you and Klaus are involved in is none of our business. Leave us out of it."

"Too late, sister," Klaus said. "You involved him the moment you invited him under our roof."

Rebekah glared at him. "He's not your puppet, he's my friend," she said.

"I'll do it," Matt said softly.

"What?" Rebekah whirled on him. "Don't be stupid, Matt. My brothers will get you killed!"

"It's just one text message," Matt said. What can go wrong?"

"Exactly," Klaus said, with a knowing smirk. "Matt, my boy, I think I may grow to like you."

And that was Matt realised he may be in over his head.

~8~

Oh no, this is not awkward at all, Caroline thought, as she perched on the couch in Tyler's drawing room - just her, Tyler, and six of his closest werewolf buddies watching a game; so much for date night.

"Want to drop by the grill for an hour?" she asked brightly, hoping Tyler would get the hint.

The arm he'd tossed over her shoulder shifted as he shrugged. "I thought we'd just have a quiet night in," he said.

By we, did Tyler mean him and Caroline - or him and his pack? And should that be a question she had to ask?

"How was your day?" she ventured.

"Oh, you know, uneventful," he said with a vague smile, his eyes still on the screen. Caroline was all for supporting Tyler's love of football but this bordered on the cliché of the uninterested boyfriend. She shifted uncomfortably before standing up.

"I, uh, I'm just going to grab a glass of water," she said and tried not to frown as Tyler just nodded. She may be annoyed at him but she wasn't going to make a scene in front of the werewolves. She'd keep her peace until they were alone.

The kitchen looked like it hadn't been cleaned in days, and Caroline resisted to urge to pick up a sponge cloth. Stress and mess were never a good combination for her, but her OCD was not going to get the better of her tonight. Let Tyler and his buddies clean their own damned dishes.

She grabbed the solitary clean glass on the shelf and went to the fridge for some bottled water. The bag of O negative in the fridge, however, altered her plan. It wasn't her favourite blood type, but she was feeling a little tense and blood tended to take the edge of things. She snipped the corner and felt her fangs push through her gums at the scent. Pouring a glass, she took a soothing sip. It didn't taste as good as her usual blood supply but maybe Tyler wasn't able to access as fresh a supply as her. Maybe he should give him the number of Meredith's contact.

She felt the tightness in her shoulders ease, however, and she took another sip. A movement outside the kitchen patio doors caught her eye and she shifted to get a closer look. She got a whiff of werewolf and shrugged, it was probably one of Tyler's pack. She finished off the blood in her glass and felt thr first wave of weakness flow through her. Too late, she realised why the blood tasted funny. It was tainted with vervein. The shadows shifted outside the patio windows and coalesced into a figure - Hayley.

"I'm really going to kill you," Caroline muttered as she slid to the floor and blacked out.

~8~

Damn it! The tainted blood had been meant for Tyler. Just enough to knock him out and ensure he wouldn't stumble across her while she was nabbing Katherine - but that idiotic blonde cheerleader had to ruin things again.

Hayley bit her lip, she was positive Caroline had recognised her and one of Hayley's few advantages had been that nobody would suspect it was her who took Katherine. Everyone would suspect Klaus. Nudging the latch, she slipped into the kitchen and rooted in her backpack for her stake. If she killed her, she'll never be able to tell Tyler it was Hayley who'd taken Katherine and they'll still suspect Klaus – after all, it wasn't the first time, he'd tried to kill her.

"What the hell are you doing?" hissed a familiar voice, and Hayley looked up to see Charlie slip into room.

"She recognised me."

"So you thought you'd stake her?" Charlie asked incredulously. "Are you kidding me? Listen Hayley, I know I owe you one, but I draw the line at killing Tyler's girlfriend; he's a good guy. Here – here's the key for the cellar. The large one is for the iron gate, and small one is for the cuffs. Be quick about it and remember to throw them into the stone urn by the gate when you're finished.

"She'll tell Tyler she saw me," Hayley insisted.

"And I'll remind him that she's been poisoned with vervein. It'll create enough doubt to give you time to escape – now go."

Reluctantly, Hayley went back out the patio doors and darted across the lawn into the woods. She found the old ruin easily and descended into the old cellar. Lamplight filled the old stone chamber and Hayley looked through the iron rails, and into Katherine's prison.

She stood up and quirked an eyebrow at her as the chains rattled. "About time," she said. "I was beginning to think you'd reneged on our deal."

Hayley forbore to mention that that's exactly what she and Sophie had done. The longer Katherine thought she was here to 'rescue' her, the easier this abduction would be. She didn't relish carrying Katherine's deadweight to her car.

"It took us a while to track you down," Hayley said instead. "So, you're human now… how's that going for you?"

"Tiresome," Katherine bit out. "And something I'm going to rectify as soon as possible. How's the plan going?"

"Just like you predicted; they bought it hook, line and sinker. Elijah seemed to love the idea of being an uncle."

"Yes, I'd noticed," Katherine said. "Have the witches found the device yet?"

"No, but they will soon. Klaus's presence has distracted Marcel beautifully. He's obsessed."

"I still don't understand why they just didn't kill Marcel," Katherine said lightly as he rubbed her wrists.

"They have families, people they love, and Marcel knows where every single one of them lives and has dozens of vampires and compelled humans dotted around the city with instructions to kill them instantly if he dies at a witch's hand," Hayley told her, not seeing the point of lying.

"Simple but effective," Katherine said. "Well, let's get going, shall we?"

Hayley led the way out of the cellar and felt the air move behind her as they stepped outside. She dodged just in time, and the rock Katherine held missed her head by inches.

"Did you really think I hadn't figured out you'd betrayed me?" Katherine hissed. "It's all you're capable of doing!"

Hayley smirked as she pulled a gun out of her belt. "Sticks and stones," she mocked. "Now, get moving, before I show you how painful a bullet hole is for a human."


	4. Pawn advances, queen is cramped

  


Sophie sighed as she fell back onto the bed. Klaus on the warpath, Hayley missing, and no back-up plan in sight; how had it fallen apart so quickly?

The coven had spent days - no, _weeks_ \- going over every aspect of their plan meticulously. They had planned every move and even lured Elijah to the city on Katherine's advice; they just hadn't counted on Klaus's impatience fouling the works.

She looked around the studio apartment her coven used as a safe house. Usually, this was the place they hid runners from Marcel when he went on the warpath. Now, _she_ was reduced to using the same bolthole she'd created to help others; the irony sucked. The burner phone resting on the pillow beside her began to ring and Sopie turned to glare at it before she picked it up. It was Joe, her head bartender – and now her _only_ bartender. Klaus was very, _very_ pissed.

"Yeah?" she muttered into the phone.

" _Sophie, you'll never guess who walked into the bar. That human boy Rebekah Mikaelson is so fond of,_ " Joe said.

"You're sure?" Sophie said, shooting up on the bed.

" _Very, I double checked the picture in that file Katherine sent us_ ," Joe said. " _It's him_."

"Is he looking for trouble?" Sophie asked. From what she'd read in his file, he didn't seemed the type to cause murder and mayhem, but he'd also spent the last two months with an Original. He could have come back a changed man - literally.

" _Nothing, he didn't even try to con a drink out of me with false ID; he just ordered coffee._ "

Sophie quirked an eyebrow; what self-respecting teenaged boy walked into a New Orleans bar and didn't try to get served? "Anything else? Any shifty movements? Does he look like he's watching the door?"

Joe laughed. " _Okay, okay, calm down, Nancy Drew. He's just drinking coffee and playing with his phone_. "

Alarm bells rang in her mind. "Joe, listen to me, go to the medicine cabinet I have in the kitchen. I keep some tranquilizers in the little blue pill box on the top shelf. Dose his next coffee and dump his phone down the toilet."

" _And what then? I can't exactly prop him up at the bar_."

_He's leverage_ , said a small little voice in the back of her mind and, distasteful as it was, she couldn't disagree. "You have a truck, don't you?" she asked. "Bring him to me."

~8~

It was a holiday home, already locked up for the winter and nothing fancy, so it hadn't taken much to jimmy the lock. It had a small kitchenette and livingroom, two bedrooms, and a garage out back where she'd already put the chains and concrete blocks for what promised to be the toughest part of her plan – breaking the sire bond. There was no way she was going to let herself be Klaus's bitch, not again.

She sat at the table and turned the vial in her hand. She figured one blood bag would cover eight doses. If she made the portions smaller, then there was a chance it wouldn't work. She popped the top, and swallowed it down. The blood tasted foul, like metallic iron coating her throat.

Katherine laughed sourly from her awkward position on the linoleum, her wrists cuffed to the radiator. "So that's why you wanted me - I'm going to be your first meal," she said. "Well, I suppose as plans go, it isn't as pathetic as trying to trade me to Klaus. He isn't a very forgiving man."

"Just be grateful I'm not going to drink from the vein," Hayley said as she opened up the ice cooler and took out the bag of blood she'd siphoned from her earlier. "And I don't want his forgiveness, I want him _gone_."

"Oh, I'm _very_ grateful, and I'm sure you're sparing my life out of a keen sense of moral rectitude," Katherine said. "I mean, you'd never think of using me as blood bag for your little army, would you? For a person who hates Klaus so much, you're trying really hard to emulate him."

"It's not the same," Hayley hissed. "I'm doing this for my family."

Katherine laughed. "Oh, my dear little wolf, if only you knew."

Ignoring the edge to her laughter, Hayley pulled out her glock. She had originally thought of poison or a razor but then decided against it, a long drawn out death wasn't really her style. A gun was quicker. Taking a deep breath, she turned it on herself and glared at Katherine. "Don't even _try_ escaping while I'm out."

Katherine smiled humourlessly. "Have a good death."

Hayley pulled the trigger.

~8~

" _Caroline, Caroline – can you hear me?"_

Tyler's voice pierced through her grogginess and she forced her eyes open. "Tyler?" she said hoarsely, swallowing against that familiar dry, acidic taste she recognised as vervain poisoning.

"You're awake, thank God," he said, pushing her hair back from her face. "What happened? Do you remember anything?"

"Your blood supply was laced with vervein," she muttered, as he swam into focus. The other werewolves were crowded around them, and Caroline wearily wondered if this was going to be their relationship from now on. Love Tyler, love his Pack. "Hayley was here," she said as she propped herself up.

"Hayley," Charlie said. "Isn't that the werewolf that betrayed your last pack."

"The one and only," Tyler said. "She must be working with Klaus again."

Caroline struggled to stand. "This wasn't Klaus," she said.

"You don't know that," Tyler said. "This could have been his plan all along – maybe he only let me come back to lull me into a sense of security, and make it easier to kill me off quietly later. It wouldn't be the first time Hayley's done his dirty work."

Caroline frowned; could it be true? "No," she said aloud. "If Klaus was going to kill you, it'd be bloody and in public. He'd want to make a lesson of you."

"She's got a point," one of the other werewolves piped up.

"Well, I guess she'd know," Charlie said, in a tone of voice that made Caroline's eyes narrow.

"You've got something to say, Charlie?" she asked sharply.

"Well, word is you and he are real _friendly,"_ Charlie said.

Caroline glared at him. Who the hell was this guy? She felt the veins around her eyes rise as her temper flared. "Oh, is that so?" she bit out,her fangs threatening to drop. "And whose word would that be? You seem very keen to make this all about Klaus."

"If it was Klaus, he was probably after you know who," another of the werewolves suddenly said.

Tyler nodded. "Go check," he said. "Take Charlie with you."

"You know who?" Caroline echoed, as she glared after Charlie's disappearing back. "Tyler, what the hell is going on?"

"It's nothing to worry about. Wolf business," Tyler told her.

Caroline arched an eyebrow. "Wolf business," she said flatly.

"Like I said, it's nothing to worry about." His phone beeped and Tyler looked down, stiffening as he read the message. "Caroline, I have to-"

Her hand snaked out, vampire fast, and snatched the phone from his hands. " _Katherine,_ " she hissed, reading the screen. "You've had her all this time and you never told me?"

" _Caroline-"_

"Don't you Caroline _me,_ " she said. "What the hell has been going on here? Why do you have Katherine locked up in your cellar of doom – which, by the way, is not the best place to keep a _human._ She's probably going to die from pneumonia or from some weird subterranean disease- " She took a breath, stilled, and then glared at him. "This is about Klaus, isn't it? God, can't you just leave well enough alone."

"No I _can't_!" Tyler roared back. "Don't you get it? It's always about Klaus! He ruined my life, Caroline, he killed my mother, stole you-"

" _Stole_ me, Tyler?" she snapped. "It may have escaped your notice, with all the scheming you've been doing behind my back, but I'm still here, right by your side – and for your information, nobody gets to steal _me_. I make my own choices, thank you very much, and I chose you!"

"Sure you have, for _now_!" He stopped, his eyes widening as he realised what he'd said. The silence loomed between them.

"I think I should be going now," Caroline said, heading for the door.

"Caroline." He grabbed her arm and tugged her to him. "I'm sorry."

"No you're not," she muttered, as she pulled her arm free. "And I've got to go, I'm too mad to talk."

"I'll see you tomorrow?" he called after her.

"I'm not really sure, Tyler, are you sure you can fit me into your busy schedule of abduction and _wolf business,"_ she said, letting the door slam behind her. Sometimes, a good dramatic exit was the only way to go...and why was she so angry, damn it!

She forced herself to take a deep breath, and then another, before she tried to look at the situation rationally. Hayley took Katherine. Why would she do that - why does Hayley do _anything_? Sighing, she remembered how Damon mentioned Klaus was still in contact with Hayley after the massacre, which probably meant Tyler was right. Klaus was involved.

"I guess he's not done trying to build a hybrid army after all," she muttered as she got into her car. She didn't know why she felt so disappointed. He was Klaus, after all, what else did she expect? Her mind drifted to the last time she saw him, at her graduation.

_Tyler is your first love, I intend to be your last._

With a slow, creeping realisation, Caroline knew why she was so angry. Tyler was right, as much as she still loved him, when she looked at him she didn't see a future with him anymore. Some small part of her had already moved on - and some small part of him had moved on also. When had her life gotten so messy? Blinking away the tears she hadn't even realised she was shedding, she started the car. She needed to make a stop at the Salvatore house.


	5. A pin against the king

"So, let me get this straight, Hayley kidnapped Katherine from Tyler, who'd abducted her at some undisclosed time over the last few weeks, and was keeping her in his creepy cellar in the woods." Stefan fell back onto the couch. "Sorry, no, I'm still not seeing the problem."

Caroline rolled her eyes; she could do without this newly revised Stefan. She actually needed her friend right now; the one that actually gave a damn. "It's not about Katherine," she said. "It's about Tyler, you know how sensitive he is about the Klaus thing. I wouldn't put it past him to treat this like a declaration of war or something – and you know what happened last time."

"How could I forget? Nothing like a massacre to get the Yuletide spirit going," Stefan drawled. "Maybe you should just remind him."

"Ugh!" Caroline said, flopping down beside him. "Been there, done that. We just ended up having a blazing row."

"Well then – plan B - have you considered talking to Klaus? You're still in contact with him, right?"

It was a good thing she didn't blush easily, Caroline thought. "We, uh, text."

Stefan eyebrows went up. "Oh really, and how does that go - 8 only 7 ppl tonite :-(= Miss U. Come to Nola?"

Caroline bit back a laugh because, well, he wasn't far wrong. "Longer sentences with proper grammar but, yeah, pretty much. We don't really discuss vampire business."

"I think I'm going to need a fresh drink for this," Stefan said, as he got to his feet. Caroline watched as he poured several fingerfuls of bourbon into his glass and gulped it down before pouring another. Wow, he was really knocking it back. Were the blood cravings happening again? He turned to look at her, quirking an eyebrow as if he knew what she was thinking.

"Do you really think Klaus is pulling Hayley's strings?" he asked.

"Tyler thinks so," Caroline prevaricated.

"I didn't ask you what Tyler thinks," he said. "I asked you what you thought?"

Caroline pulled a face "I don't know," she said. "I think…I think it nearly fits, it should fit, but something is off."

Stefan nodded. "I think so too," he admitted. "Klaus would never send a solitary werewolf to take on a hybrid with a pack and a vampire girlfriend. Klaus likes to stack the odds in his favour."

"It still worked, though, didn't it?" Caroline said grumpily. "Hayley got Katherine; what should I do?"

"Honestly? I think you should just call and ask him," Stefan said. "Then at least you'll know."

"What if he lies?" Caroline asked pensively.

Stefan gave her a long look. "When was the last time Klaus lied to you, Care?"

Caroline frowned. "When he said he'd rescue Elena from Alaric," she said, after a moment.

"But, technically, he didn't lie," Stefan mused "He did rescue Elena from Alaric… right before he drained her dry."

And that's how Klaus always gets you, on the technicalities," Caroline muttered.

"Well, you would know."

"You're the second person who's said that to me today," Caroline said irritably as she got to her feet. "It's becoming really, really annoying."

"Where are you going?" he asked, as she turned to leave.

She let out a sound of frustration. "I'm going to call him, of course - it's not as if I have a choice!"

~8~

"So what do we do now?" Joe asked, as they deposited the unconscious kid on the bed. "Tie him up or keep him sedated or…" He took a dry gulp. "Torture him for information?"

"I don't know," Sophie said. "Why are you asking me?"

"Well, I've never kidnapped anyone before," Joe said. "I figured you've more experience with this sort of thing – you know, with that werewolf business."

"Don't remind me," retorted Sophie. "We can't keep him here, that's for certain. I'm pretty sure you're not supposed to share a bed with your hostage."

Joe smirked. "Not unless you're very hard up."

Sophie elbowed him. "There's that farm we're keeping Hayley's brother on," she said. "It's warded, like here; even if Klaus finds a witch to do his bidding, they'll never find him-" She paused, it was overconfidence that had gotten her into this mess in the first place. Klaus had sent him to spy on her bar. Would he really have done that without a back-up plan? "Strip him," she said aloud.

Joe did a double take. "Excuse me?"

"Klaus is a thousand years old. You don't get to live that long without being very crafty. Search for amulets, tokens, GPS trackers - stick him under a shower, too. It's better to be safe than sorry." She pulled out her backpack from under the bed. "I'm going with you. I don't think this place is going to be safe for very long."

"This seems to be an awful lot of trouble for a boy," Joe muttered, as he pulled Matt's sneakers off and started on his jeans. "Do you really think Rebekah will betray Klaus for him."

Sophie frowned. "Honestly, I don't know," she admitted. "But at least it's a start."

"Maybe you should pray to the spirits for guidance," Joe muttered.

"Don't mock," Sophie sighed. "It's disrespectful."

"I wasn't mocking," Joe said. "We could use all the help we can get-" He stilled as a chill suddenly permeated the room and the light bulb above began to flicker. "Whoah," Joe said. "I didn't realise you had a direct line."

"I don't, birth is my thing, not death," Sophie said, her heart in her throat as the light bulb went out. The orange streetlight outside the window became the room's only source of light and Sophie watched as the shadows stretched and deepened, making the usually cosy room seem sinister. A screech, like nails on a chalkboard, filled the air, and Sophie felt her teeth water.

"What the fuck is that?" Joe

Slowly, Sophie turned to look at the window. "An answer," she said softly. On the window glass were etched two words.

Caroline Forbes.

~8~

The apartment was empty but the bedclothes weren't done and the coffee pot was still hot. They'd only missed them by minutes. Klaus wondered if he were still cursed. Nothing seemed to go his way of late. It'd been a clever plan, a simple plan.

And it still hadn't bloody worked.

"You said he'd be safe," Rebekah said flatly as she appeared from the bathroom, Matt's shirt in her hands. "You said you had a back-up plan in place."

"I had," Klaus muttered, wishing she'd just shut up for a moment so he could think. He had counted on them dumping the phone - Sophie and Hayley had both shown the wherewithal to do this before - but he just hadn't counted on Sophie recognising the phone as a feint. She was smarter than she looked. Funny, he'd thought the brains of the operation had been her dead sister.

He'd always suspected they'd recognise Matt. He may be just a human but Katherine was nothing if not thorough, and Katherine was where Sophie had got her information from. He hadn't told Rebekah that, of course, but he'd hardly thought it worth mentioning. He had every intention of having the boy back in her evil clutches before the night was out. He just needed him as bait for a few hours.

But, somehow, they'd found the tracker and escaped his net. His mind reeled as he tried to figure out what his next step should be. He would not – he could not –let this witch make a fool out of him.

"Klaus," Elijah said softly. "The window."

He looked up and felt the blood drain from his face as he saw Caroline's name etched into the glass. Was this a warning or a threat? "I'll make her regret this," he said flatly. "I'll kill her and everyone she loves."

"You'll have to find her first," Rebekah snapped.

He gave her a nasty smile. "Is the landlady still breathing?" he asked.

"She's on vervein," Elijah pointed out.

"Then we'll turn her," he said as he took out his phone and turned it back on "Let's see if she'll change her tune once she's on our side of the line. She must know something." Elijah nodded, vacating the room as a fresh message lit up the screen on his phone. He glanced down and stiffened. It was from Caroline.

"Can we talk?"

He looked at the window. The words etched into the glass seemed like an accusation. Surely the witch hadn't moved that fast. His fingers sped across the touchscreen. "Not a good time."

The answer only took a few moments. "Then we DEFINITELY need to talk."

"Ooh, capslock, someone is definitely in trouble," Rebekah sniped, looking over his shoulder. "Think how pleased she's going to be when she finds out you've also lost her sweet natured ex-boyfriend. You're going to be in the doghouse forever."

"I could do without the running commentary, Bekah," Klaus said, through gritted teeth.

"And I could do without my boyfriend being kidnapped by my brother's enemies, but we can't always have what we want, can we?" Rebekah snapped. "Come on, we're done here."

~8~

Curled up in a ball, Bonnie tried to hold back the pain. Any form of uninvited manifestation tore at the spirit like hot lead running through bone, but it was worth it. She had planted the seed in Sophie's mind.

A slow clap made Bonnie look up. Her second to least favourite Mikaelson brother had apparated into view.

"Well that was very naughty of you, little witch," he said. "What happens when she figures out her friendly neighbourhood spirit doesn't actually have her best interests at heart?"

"That is none of your business," Bonnie bit out.

"Oh, touchy, touchy," he mocked as he sank down to heels and caught her chin. "Feeling the pangs of conscience?"

She pulled away from his touch. "She took Matt. She's far from innocent in this matter."

"Not innocent, but maybe a little desperate," Kol mused. "Have you never done a terrible thing out of desperation before, Bonnie? Or is this your first time?"

"Not the point," Bonnie gasped out.

"Isn't it?" Kol asked. "You do realise things are going to get very messy, don't you? And what happens if it doesn't work and she comes here alone?"

"He'll come with her," Bonnie said with certainty.

"That's quite the leap of faith, little Miss Bennet," he said.

"No it isn't," Bonnie said. "I know Caroline. There is no way in hell she'll come to New Orleans alone and she won't bring Tyler for obvious reasons."

Kol laughed. "Let me guess, she doesn't trust my brother."

"More like she doesn't trust herself," Bonnie muttered, in half disgust. There was nothing like being dead for giving you a bird's eye view of your friends.

"Interesting," Kol said, eyes twinkling. "And here I was thinking there wasn't anyone foolish enough to care for him." He stood and held out his hand. Bonnie rolled her eyes but took it nonetheless. It would be a few days before she was back to full strength again.

"Why don't you leave me alone," she said, once she was standing.

"I presume that is a rhetorical question," he drawled. "You're my ticket out of here, my dear Bonnie, I'm going to stick to you like glue. Think of me as a permanent devil on your shoulder."

"I guess this is hell after all," Bonnie snapped.

He waggled his eyebrows. "I can make the hours go more pleasantly if you wish?"

"In your dreams!

"Constantly, little witch, constantly."


	6. Battery and bind

 

The atmosphere in the SUV was… tense. They'd had to handcuff Donavan's hands behind his back after he tried to make a run for the street as they were bundling him into the SUV. Now, he sat stiffly on the back seat, glowering at them silently. Sophie supposed she couldn't blame him, although he must have known what he was signing up for when he had agreed to spy for Klaus.

"Maybe this is getting a bit out of hand," Joe said suddenly. "We could call it quits, nobody would blame you."

"That's not going to happen, so don't even think of getting cold feet," Sophie said lowly, her resolve stiffening as Joe put her worries into words. "Jane Anne did not die for nothing; I will not let that happen to my sister's memory. We're going to do this. We're going to follow this road right to the end. Marcel does not own this city and neither do the Mikaelsons. I don't care what Anne Rice wrote, this is the city of the _witch_."

Joe shrugged his wide shoulders. "Just throwing it out there," he said. "You know how I feel about the subject. "

Yes, Sophie _did_ know; While Joe was still blissfully curse free, his father, James, had not been so lucky. When he was in his thirties, his werewolf gene had been activated during a car accident and he hadn't had a clue about his heritage. He had been raised by his human father after his mother had deserted them when he was three.

The next full moon had been a revelation, both for him and the local vampire community. One of the nightwalkers had got bitten and, the next morning, Marcel came knocking on their door and dragged James out onto the street. Ignorance was not considered an excuse and the execution was swift. Joe got to watch - he'd been eleven at the time.

Sophie sighed, Marcel always did have a vicious streak but over the last couple of decades, with no witches to keep him in check, he'd let his ego run rampant. He thought he was untouchable, that he could do what he liked, and New Orleans, once considered a refuge for all, was slowly getting the reputation of being a supernatural slaughterhouse.

"We're here," Joe said, as they took a turn down a lane and pulled to a stop in front of a lodge, discreetly hidden from the road by a copse of trees. The door opened and Sophie spotted Charlie, his young eyes widening as he watched them prod the still bound Matt out of the SUV. Charlie had Hayley's eyes and chin but the family resemblance stopped there. They shared a father but had different mothers, and Charlie's red curls hailed from the maternal side.

"Who's he?" he asked as they passed him at the door.

"Nobody to worry about," Sophie said. "Where is Aaron?"

"Aaron is right here," said a voice from behind them. Sophie turned to glare at the burly werewolf.

"Trying to sneak up on me?" she asked, crossing her arms.

"Just taking precautions," Aaron said, before nodding at Matt. "He's human."

"Thank you for pointing that out, Mr Obvious," Sophie retorted.

"Well then, let me go two for two, and remind you that this is a halfway house for _werewolves,"_ Aaron said laconically. "If you want to keep a pet human, go and get some other poor schmuck to house it."

"Hey, the pet human is standing right here, you know," Matt said wearily. "And you're right; you really don't want me here now that Klaus is on the warpath."

"Klaus – the _hybrid_?" His eyes narrowed as he looked at Sophie. "I thought you had him under control?"

"Relax, it's not as if you're in any danger. He's not turning werewolves anymore, remember?"

Matt let out a snort. "You have no frigging idea that you're dealing with, do you?" he said. "Klaus will do anything he thinks necessary to get his revenge and if that means turning every wolf in the bayou into a hybrid, he's going to do it."

"He can't do that without a Doppelganger," Aaron retorted. "And the last one got turned."

"Oh, I guess you haven't heard the news then," Matt said.

"Heard what?"

"It's nothing, Aaron, I've got it under control," Sophie interrupted. The werewolf scowled at her and it took all her resolution not to take a step back. She was a powerful witch, damn it, no moon howler was going to make _her_ back down!

"Sophie, don't try to play me. What the _hell_ is going on?" he asked.

"Katherine, the other Doppelganger, is human again," Matt piped up. "Any chance of someone unlocking these cuffs?"

"No!" Sophie and Aaron snarled at him, as one.

Matt blinked. "Okay, but I overheard you talk about Caroline when you were bundling me into the SUV earlier and I think it's only fair to warn you that, if you think Klaus is angry _now_ , it's nothing compared to what he'll be if he finds out you're going after _her_. The last witch he caught messing with Caroline, he decapitated with a graduation cap."

"Ugh _, gross_ ," Charlie said, with a tone of fascination that only a teenager can pull off.

Sophie cleared her throat. "Charlie, how about you go outside and…" Her words drifted off and she looked to Aaron for some help.

"Go outside and chop some wood, kid," he said.

"But it's eighty degrees outside! Why do we need firewood?"

"It ain't for firewood, it's for stakes."

Matt cleared his throat. "Ah, I wouldn't bother if I were you - another fun fact about the original hybrid? He can't be killed with an ordinary stake."

"Matt, if you don't shut up, I'm going to gag you," Sophie snapped.

"Hey, I'm just giving you a heads up," Matt said. "I know what it's like to have an Original on your ass. Trust me, you really don't want to go there-"

" _Enough_ ," Sophie said. "I get it. Caroline is your friend and you want to keep her out of the firing line but too many people are counting on me to succeed and if your vampire friend becomes collateral damage, then so be it." She turned to Aaron. "Two days," she said. "That's all I'm asking for. It's probably not going to matter much after that."

The grizzled werewolf nodded reluctantly. "Two days, Sophie, no more. I have people counting on _me_ too."

Sophie smiled. "Sounds like a deal, she said. "Now, I don't suppose you have a spare burner phone handy? I need to make a phone call.

~8~

This was not how the last week of her summer break was supposed to go. She was supposed to be hanging out with her boyfriend and her friends at the grill, putting the finishing touches to her dorm room, playing catch up with her mom, and getting her game plan on for Fresher's week… she was not supposed to be hunting down werewolf kidnappers and hounding hybrid sociopaths.

" _Why do you want me to call Rebekah_?" Stefan asked.

"Because Klaus is not answering my texts anymore and he's not picking up my calls; he's definitely up to something," Caroline growled into the phone.

" _Well, that's one way to avoid telling a lie, I suppose,"_ Stefan drawled.

"Seriously? You're not funny, you know! And while you're at it, try and find out what's up with Matt. He's not answering his phone and that's really unlike him. I wouldn't put it past her to have accidentally dropped him off the Eiffel Tower or something."

_"Ja wohl, mein Führer."_

"You're not as witty as you think, either, Herr Salvatore," she said, slowing as she approached her house. A figure moved on her porch and Caroline frowned as he realised it was Tyler, an unreadable expression on his face. "I'll call you back," she said, hanging up before Stefan could answer.

"You called Klaus," were the first words out of his mouth; that damned hybrid hearing. She bridled at the tone of his voice.

"Of course I did," she said, climbing the steps. "He's not answering."

"I told you," he said. "He can't be trusted, Caroline."

Caroline sighed. "Look Tyler, I know it looks hinky, but try to look at this logically. It doesn't add up."

"Look at it logically?" Tyler echoed. "It sounds to me like _you're_ the one with the clouded judgement. We both know Hayley was working for Klaus. It makes perfect sense. You let him get to you, Caroline, don't pretend you didn't."

Caroline hesitated; it was kind of true, she _had_ let him get to her… but it still didn't make her wrong. Sighing, she decided to change the subject. "Why are you here, Tyler, I thought I told you I wanted some alone time," she said.

"Yeah well, funnily enough, I don't think that's going to be a problem," Tyler said dryly. "I'm leaving town for a few days."

"What - why?" Caroline exclaimed. "You've just got _back_."

"It's werewolf stuff. Nothing important," Tyler said.

"Nothing important," Caroline drawled. "Just werewolf stuff… you do realise you're a terrible liar, don't you?"

"Caroline, don't push it."

Caroline's eyebrows went up. "Excuse me? _I_ shouldn't push it? I'm not the one keeping dangerous secrets, Tyler. What if Hayley had used a stake last night instead of vervein? You know that bitch hates me. I need to know what's going on so I can _protect_ myself."

"I can't, Caroline, too much is at stake," he said firmly.

"Wow - you don't trust me," she realised aloud. "That's what this is all about. That's _always_ what this was about. I'm an idiot; I should have seen this before."

"I've gotta go," Tyler said quietly, shoving his hands in his pockets as he turned away. Caroline watched silently as he walked down the lane and turned onto the street. No kiss goodbye, no glance back, no promise to call...

Were they over?

Caroline felt her heart clench at the thought. Not with a bang, but with a whimper; relationship death by a thousand cuts. Her vision blurred and she angrily blinked the tears away as her phone began to ring. If this was Klaus, he was about to get a piece of her _mind_.

She faltered as she noted the **Unknown Caller** icon "Yes?" she said.

" _Caroline Forbes?_ " said an unknown female voice. " _If you want to see your friend Matt alive again, come to New Orleans. I'll call you again in the morning. If you're not here by then, he dies._ " The dial tone was abrupt and Caroline looked at the length of the call. Five and half seconds, not long enough for her mom to trace it.

This day just got better and better.

~8~

" _I'll get back to you."_

Silas raised an eyebrow as Caroline hung up on him. One of the unexpected consequences of assuming Stefan's identity was inheriting a high school cheerleader as a best friend. She was a bundle of contradictions, was Miss Forbes, and he was surprised to find that he rather liked her.

What at first had been a rather tedious obstacle to his search for the Doppelganger had become an intriguing and amusing part of his life. All that steel and intellect wrapped up in a pretty yet insecure bow. From her obsessive preparation for the upcoming Fresher's week – she was applying for the College's cheerleading squad, _of course_ -to her strange new fascination with dead languages, she was never predictable. After two months of late night study, her grasp of Latin was already impressive, although her Aramaic could use a bit of work. He'd volunteer to tutor her but he suspected that might give the game away.

He'd once asked her why she hadn't chosen a living language, just to see what she'd say. She'd rolled her eyes at him.

_"_ Have you _seen_ our lives _?"_ she'd asked. "Every second week, I find myself knee deep in ancient tomes looking for strange mystical objects to avert mass slaughters or Armageddon and the only decent translator I know is a thousand year old hybrid with a bad temper and an ego complex. Do you have any idea how embarrassing it is to keep on asking the proverbial bad guy for help with my homework?"

She'd had given him a rather strange look when he'd laughed but he couldn't help himself, it _was_ rather funny.

Silas sighed; it was strange how easy it had been to fall back into the easy rhythm of simply _living_. A run in the morning, perfectly timed so he could avoid Damon and Elena's first round of sex, followed by breakfast at Caroline's. Then, while Caroline was busy obsessing over whatever new project she'd taken on board, he'd make his own enquiries into the location of the human Doppelganger, Katherine.

The only way to effectively reconstitute the cure without a fresh expression spell would be to use her blood and some old fashioned ancestral magic. A sacrifice of three should do the trick; Katherine, of course, along with his descendant and doppelganger, Stefan, and then someone from the Bennett bloodline.

Unfortunately, with Bonnie dead, there was only her vampire mother left. He had tracked her down using Bonnie's phone records and now had her safely tucked away - two towns over - until he had use of her. It was sad to see such a powerful line of witches so diminished, it was almost a pity he had to do this.

Almost.

Silas smiled, in a way it almost serendipity. Not only did he now have a lead on Katherine, but it seemed likely she'd been taken to New Orleans, a city famous for its ancestral witches if his research was to be believed; fortuitous indeed.

He dug out his phone. Time to be a good friend and call Rebecca.


	7. Countergambit

The woman screamed as he dug the blade deeper into her arterial vein, spilling her blood onto the parquet floors. Klaus made a mental note to have the floors cleaned and waxed when they were done; nothing ruined old wood quite like blood. He studied the newborn vampire coolly, gauging where would be the best place to cut next. Hanging upside down from her chains, her clothes in ribbons and her skin stained with her own blood, the former landlady made a rather pathetic sight.

"Stop, please _stop_ , I'll tell you anything you need to know," she pleaded.

Rebekah idly studied her nails, not moving from the couch. "I'm afraid that won't be enough," she said. "We need to be sure and that won't happen until we've bled all the vervein from your veins - nothing personal."

Klaus rolled his eyes. "Bekah, sister, do you not have better things to be doing right now?"

"Well, I did have dinner plans," Rebekah drawled. "But my idiot brothers allowed my date to be abducted from right under their noses, so you'll forgive me if I'm a little bit dubious about their ability to retrieve my boyfriend in one piece all by themselves. "

The door opened and Elijah stepped into the room, a worried expression on his face. "We may have a problem," he said.

"Oh, you think?" Rebekah asked archly.

Elijah threw her a look. "Marcel suspects something. His nightwalkers are combing the streets for Sophie as we speak. Apparently they're door stepping every witch in the French Quarter. There is a war brewing here, Niklaus."

"Elijah, if Marcel finds her before we do, he'll kill Matt," Rebecca said, worry creeping into her voice.

Klaus glared at her pointedly, gesturing at the half unconscious vampire dangling in front of them. "In case you haven't noticed, I'm working on that," he said. His cellphone vibrated insistently on the coffee table, breaking his attention.

"Oh, for heaven's sake," Rebekah spat out. "Just answer it! She's not going to stop until you do! That girl has the tenacity of a pitbull terrier."

The young lady _is_ insistent," Elijah observed

The young lady is getting on my last nerve," Klaus growled.

"And yet you refrain from blocking her number," his brother said, amused. "Interesting."

"More like pathetic," Rebekah sniped. "I do not know what you see in that girl. Have you any idea of how many hours I've wasted watching her wave those damned flashcards in Matt's face? _Too_ many, that's how many."

Klaus smirked. "Sounds like the gentle green tendrils of jealousy to me," he said, happy to divert the subject.

"Flashcards?" Elijah asked, bemused.

"You do _not_ want to know, trust me," Rebekah said, glancing down at her phone as it began to ring. "Oh, perfect, just perfect, it's Stefan. Little Miss Control Freak has obviously moved onto plan B – I'm going to answer."

"What? Don't be an idiot, Rebekah!" Klaus hissed.

Rebekah glared at him. "Tell me, Nik, what do you think is going to happen when both you and I don't answer our phones. Do you actually think that Caroline, the girl who rules with an iron fist every public holiday and event in Mystic Falls, is going to sit by her phone, wringing her hands and waiting for you to call her – or do you think she is going to get on the first plane here and stick her nose where it doesn't belong, and probably get it cut off in the process?" Taking his silence as agreement, she answered the call.

"Stefan, what a surprise," she said dryly. "Fancy you calling out of the blue like that. What can I do for you?"

" _Hayley dropped by_ ," Stefan drawled. " _It was eventful - vampires were verveined, newly humanised doppelgangers were abducted; she really made an impression_."

In a blur, Klaus was across the room and had Rebekah's phone in his hand. "Care to repeat that, Ripper?" he asked.

~8~

Katherine jumped as Hayley's body jerked, her hands clutching at the floorboards like a newborn looking for something to grasp. She shrank back as the hybrid's eyes opened, yellow and baleful, and her fangs lengthened; there was nowhere to run, nowhere to hide. She was trapped, and weak, and _food._

The bag with her blood was on the table but she remembered only too well her first feed; the skin breaking under her teeth's grip, the warm gush of blood in her mouth, the heartbeat slowing as she sank to the floor with her prey… a blood bag really didn't really cut it.

Her only hope was to somehow break though Hayley's hunger haze and remind her that she needed Katherine alive. "You left the blood bag on the table," she said hoarsely.

"I don't want a blood bag," Hayley said hotly, her head tilting. Katherine recognised the mannerism. She was listening to her heart, no doubt getting a thrill out of its panicked beat.

"I know you don't," Katherine said. "I've been there, remember? But if you want to turn the other werewolves, you're going to need me _alive."_

She smirked. "Who said I'm going to kill you?" she asked. "Just a little sip-"

It happened in a split second. The cuffs were ripped off her wrists like they were made of paper and Hayley pulled her bodily to her feet. She felt her teeth rip into her artery, and her mind began to slip away, like oil over water. This was it, she was going to die, after all that death and killing and scrabbling to survive… no.

"Hayley, Hayley, stop, you have to…"

With a low growl, Hayley let her go and Katherine's feet slid from under her. She fell to the floor in a helpless heap and then felt Hayley suddenly grabbing her again and pulling her head back. The iron taste of blood slid down her throat and Katherine idly wondered if the blood of a hybrid could turn a human. She wondered if she was about to find out.

"Don't pass out on me, damn it," Hayley snarled. "I need you _alive_."

Katherine didn't know whether to laugh or cry. "It's not going to work, you know. You're not the first person to turn themselves in order to escape Klaus - that would have been _me."_

Hayley sneered at her. "I'm nothing like you," she said.

"Oh, give it time," Katherine said. "He's going to kill your brother. He'll do it slow and bloody - and then he'll track down the rest of your family, family you don't even realise you _have, a_ nd then he'll move onto your friends, your adopted family, your lovers… everyone. You see, you didn't just betray him, you _embarrassed_ him. You hurt his pride and he's not going to forgive you for that."

"You know nothing," Hayley said dully. "You don't know anything about my life."

"I know enough," Katherine countered. "I know that one of the girls who died in that boating accident was your adopted sister and it's for that, more than the wolf in you, that your parents threw you out. I know you're in love with Tyler Lockwood and he'll _never_ love you back. I know you're searching for something you'll never have because you're a silly little girl who believed the promises of a desperate witch and a vampire tired of running, and you tied yourself up in a pretty little bow and served yourself to the big bad wolf." She coughed as she felt her strength coming back, the hybrid blood working through her system, and she struggled to sit up, warily eyeing the troubled hybrid. Maybe if she could get the girl to understand, she might get out of this alive.

"I had a family, you know," she said. "Klaus killed them all. He killed my mother, my father, my two aunts, my three uncles, my six cousins and the one grandparent I had left – but he didn't stop there, oh no, then there were the villagers, the butcher, the baker, the candlestick maker…the father of my child." Katherine stopped, remembering the feel of Hans's hand, his promises of love and happiness - all lies, of course. All lies.

"You had a kid?" Hayley asked. "What happened to it?"

"I don't know," Katherine admitted. "I never saw it after the day she was born. I didn't even know whether she'd survived until I heard about the new doppelganger." She didn't like to think about that - that Elena was _family_. She had given up on such childish notions a long time ago.

Hayley grunted as she got to her feet, suddenly losing interest in her words. "Well, I guess we're not the same after all," she said. "Because if you think I'm going to let Charlie go like you did your kid, then I guess your file about me wasn't as accurate as you thought it was – stand _up_."

"Where are we going?" Katherine asked.

"The garage," Hayley said. "Have you ever seen a werewolf turn?" She smiled as she saw Katherine shake her head. "Well then," she said. "I guess this is your lucky day."

~8~

Stefan wasn't answering his phone. Why the hell wasn't he answering his phone - was this national ignore Caroline day or something?

Grumbling under her breath, she zipped up her make-up bag and slotted it into her suitcase. She'd already booked two tickets for tonight's last flight to New Orleans using her Mom's credit card and, after a quick mental rundown of her other options, it didn't take long for her to come to the conclusion that Stefan was her best bet for a wingman – if only he'd answer his frigging _phone._ They needed to leave within the hour if they were going to make the flight.

She tried not to read too much into the fact her calls were going to voicemail. Maybe he was just catching up on old times with Rebecca, reminiscing about all those wonderful parties in the twenties… yeah, _right. S_ omething was wrong, she just _knew_ it.

Her phone hummed and Caroline felt relief rush through her as she noticed Stefan's name on the screen.

"Stefan, thank God, Matt has been kidnapped and I just got this freaky phonecall saying I have to be in New Orleans by dawn or she's going to kill him – pack a bag!" she barked, as she threw her curling iron into the suitcase and closed it.

" _And a good evening to you too_ ," Stefan said. " _Shall this be a formal affair or shall I pack casually_?"

"How the hell do I know? Pack both," she huffed as she sped outside and popped open her trunk. "What did Rebekah say?"

" _That a witch called Sophie Devereaux kidnapped Matt and Hayley isn't working for Klaus – the complete opposite in fact – and that it was news to them that Katherine was human. Oh, and Klaus says that you're not to come to New Orleans and if he sees your pretty face here, he'll wring that delicate little neck of yours. I'm guessing you're going to ignore that last part_."

"Seriously?" Caroline gasped. "And yes, we're totally going to ignore that last part. Matt's life is at stake and I have a funny feeling Tyler is already on his way there too."

" _Should I call Rebekah and let her know we're coming_?"

"And give them a chance to head us off?" Caroline said. "No, we'll let them know when we touch down-" Her phone chirped and her eyes narrowed as she realised the other caller was Klaus. Oh, _now_ he wanted to talk to her, the _cheek_. She pressed ignore. "Stefan, I'll be at your place in five, be ready to go," she said. "Oh, and it's probably best we keep this to ourselves, we don't want Elena having another freak out because Matt is in danger."

"What about Jeremy?" he asked.

Caroline wrinkled her nose. She'd known Jeremy all her life and loved him like a brother, but she had to admit there was now a coldness in his eyes when he looked at her that made her feel uncomfortable. "That's probably not a good idea," she said aloud. "Someone would say something stupid, and then there'd be stakes at dawn and arguments over who killed whose brother and…well, you get the picture."

" _Right, whatever you say_ ," Stefan drawled. " _I'll be waiting_."

Caroline smiled. "You're the best, you know that?" she said suddenly. "I'm sorry if I don't tell you that often enough, but you are. I really do appreciate this."

There was a hesitation on the other side of the line, and then: " _Thanks, Care, that means a lot_."

Caroline smirked, was it her imagination or did Stefan sound a little choked up? "See you soon," she said, and hung up.

New Orleans, here she comes.


	8. Knight's tour

 

 

It was eight in the morning and the heat was already sliding off the sidewalk in waves. Caroline wriggled in the sun, hoping that the warmth would ease some of the tension out of her spine. They were both running on empty, after a long and tedious a red-eye flight and only a few hours' sleep, but Caroline still felt like she was about to explode.

Stress had always made her hyper and since she'd become a vampire, that tendency had intensified. A few months ago, her go-to cure for this situation had been a few bouts of hot sweaty sex with Tyler. Nowadays, she did a lot of cleaning. She wrinkled her nose at the thought. She was too young to be a Haus Frau, maybe it was time to re-evaluate her lifestyle choices.

The door opened and Stefan strolled out of the hotel, sliding his sunglasses onto his nose. "I still think we should phone Rebecca and tell her we're here," he said.

She rolled her eyes. "If we did that, we might as well tell Klaus," she said. "And you do remember what Klaus's plans are like, don't you? He doesn't do nice; he does direct and bloody, and preferably with a high bodycount. We're not risking Matt's life like that. "

Stefan shrugged. "Rebekah likes him," he said. "She wouldn't do anything to put him in harm's way."

"Uh, hello? Am I the only one who remembers that time she ran him off Wickory Bridge?" Caroline asked irritably. "You know as well as I that Rebekah has a blind spot the size of the moon when it comes to Klaus. She may talk about turning her back on him but, as you've said yourself, when the chips are down that family always chooses their own first." She decided to change the subject. "C'mon, let's get some breakfast…I hear those beignets calling to me."

"You're lucky vampires don't get fat," Stefan observed dryly.

She wrinkled her nose. "I shall endeavour to ignore that comment," she said, and pointed to a café across the street. "Over there looks good." She pulled at his arm and he reluctantly followed.

They sat at a table on the street, and Stefan ordered as Caroline took out her phone out and glared at it, willing it to ring. "What's taking them so long?" she asked. "Do you think something has happened?"

"Relax, it's New Orleans, they've probably not rolled out of bed yet," Stefan said, with a yawn. "I know I wish _I_ was still between the sheets."

"Oh, I'm so sorry I interrupted your beauty sleep," Caroline said snippily.

He gave her an amused smile. "Relax, Caroline, he's going to be okay. It's obvious it's not him they want. They want Klaus and you're their golden ticket. They're not going to risk you slipping off their hook by harming their only leverage… and besides, they're witches, not vampires. Killing humans isn't really their style."

"Oh no, of course it isn't," Caroline said. "Unless, of course, they've decided that they really need an expression triangle or that they want to create another race of immortals, or some other bat shit plan to screw over the world. "

Stefan stared at her. "That's unusually harsh of you," he said.

Caroline sighed and slumped back into her seat. "I'm beginning to think I have some witchy issues," she admitted. "I mean, other than Bonnie, have you ever met a witch that didn't have some weird killer agenda? Even _Bonnie_ had her moments."

"You're thinking about that expression sacrifice again, aren't you?" Stefan said quietly.

She looked away and shrugged. "This may have nothing to do with Klaus, you know," she said quietly. "They may just want _me_. I killed all those witches and that kind of stuff gets around in witchy circles. This may be just simple revenge and they took Matt to get to me. "

"Right," Stefan said, sitting up straight. "And that's why you don't want Klaus to know you're here. You're thinking of giving yourself up in exchange for Matt and you're afraid Klaus might stop you – look at me, Caroline, tell me I'm _wrong_."

Caroline glared at him. "Matt doesn't deserve to die because of something I did," she said. "It was I who killed them, so if anyone is going to pay for that, it's me."

Stefan laughed flatly and gave her a look that was a bit too Ripper like for Caroline's comfort. "Do you know what I find really funny?" he asked. "The fact that you think _I'm_ going to be okay with you sacrificing yourself. Do you really think I'm going to just let you walk into a trap?"

"I think you're going to respect my choice, yeah," she said softly.

"The last time I respected someone else's choice, they ended up dead, Caroline," he said, and Caroline felt a chill go through her.

"I don't have a death wish, Stefan," she promised. "I 'm just not prepared to watch someone else die for me." The cellphone rang and they both stared at it.

"Well," Stefan said. "Aren't you going to answer it?"

~8~

Fear, pure unadulterated human fear; Katherine hadn't felt this emotion course through her veins in over five centuries. She remembered that night with crystal clear clarity, that mad race through the woods, finding Rose in the cottage, ending her human life at the end of a rope.

She had thought she'd cheated death, escaped the weakness of humanity - yet here she was, playing the role of the victim again.

Hayley had turned over seven times during the night, and now she was on her eight. With each turning, her eyes grew more baleful, her howls hungrier. The chains embedded in the concrete blocks and cemented into the floor were holding but Katherine couldn't help but notice the stress fractures that were beginning to form. She curled her feet as close to her body as she could, trying to ignore the ache in her arms as they dangled from the restraints above. Sleep deprivation was becoming an issue and she hadn't eaten in over a day.

A sound escaped Hayley's lips that was half a snarl and half a scream, as the bones in her spine crackled and lengthened. Her hands curled into themselves as they morphed into paws and her skin seem to shiver as a grey pelt spread along her back and down her legs until it finally coated her entire body. After what seemed forever, a dark gray wolf stood before her, straining against her iron chains as she eyed Katherine like a potential meal.

"Nice doggy," Katherine muttered as she tried to ignore the hungry look in the hybrid' eyes.

A low growl was Hayley's scintillating reply.

"Note to self, wolves were not great conversationalists," Katherine muttered as the wolf struggled in its restraints. She braced herself for another round of howling and screaming as she heard the now familiar crackle of bones.

_Creak_

Katherine stiffened as she noticed the door open a crack in the corner of her eye, her eyes widening as she recognised the figure who entered the room –Elijah!

Her eyes darted back to the Hayley, who seemed too wrapped up in her transformation to notice the Original's arrival.

"Hayley?" he mouthed at her, and Katherine nodded vigorously. Elijah may have rejected her advances – and Katherine will never admit to anyone how much that had stung – but at least he wouldn't kill her… no, he'd just hand her over to Klaus. Her mouth went dry at the prospect but she decided to concentrate on one problem at a time.

A menacing snarl escaped Hayley's lips and, panicked, Katherine jumped as Hybrid suddenly bolted forward, snapping the chains taut as she hurled herself forward. Katherine watched as Hayley' s teeth sank into his Elijah's calf and he let out a roar of outrage. He backhanded the wolf and it slammed into the back wall. With a sickening feeling in her stomach, Katherine realised the chains now fell limply around the wolf. The force of Elijah's blow had ripped them from their blocks.

The hybrid weaved onto its feet, it's yellow eyes almost glowing in the dim light of the garage and, for a moment, Katherine thought it was going to attack again. Elijah obviously thought the same thing as he tensed for the onslaught. The wolf flew forward but surprised them both when it swerved at the last moment and barrelled its way through the door. For a moment, she thought Elijah was going to give chase, but instead he turned and gave her a long, considering look.

"Hello, Katerina," he said.

Katherine rolled her eyes. "Could we leave the pleasantries until later?" she croaked, rattling at her chains. "I'm tired and hungry and, quite frankly, I smell. So how about you unchain me and take to me to your leader."

He quirked an eyebrow but didn't disavow her words. A pang of disappointment seeped through her. Family had always come first for Elijah; she had been kidding herself when she thought she could change his mind.

She considered telling him about the hybrid and doppelganger blood Hayley still had in the main house but then decided against it. if Hayley was good for anything, it was a distraction, and an angry Hayley with a bevy of new, unsired werewolves might work to her advantage at a later date.

In the end, it was always better to look out for number one. Nobody else could be trusted.

~8~

Eventually, the landlady spilled her guts, both literally and metaphorically. They now had both a name and an address; Aaron Johnson, a werewolf who had made a home for himself in the bayou and apparently ran some sort of Underground Railroad for wolves on the run from Marcel. It seemed his protégée was really… popular in New Orleans. If he were in the mood for patience, Klaus might have used that fact to his advantage… but why be patient when he could just rip out their throats instead?

He made a call to arrange the disposal of the greyed remains of the now permanently deceased Nan Jones, who had died twice in one day. One of the perks of living in New Orleans was that there was a service for everything, even getting rid of leftovers.

He found Rebekah on the phone when he returned to the drawing room and heard the familiar intonations of his brother on the other end.

"He's found that trollop of a doppelganger," she pronounced. "Apparently, it's quite a tale."

" _Put me on speaker_ ," he heard Elijah said, and Rebekah rolled her eyes as she tapped the screen and propped it on the coffee table.

"Go ahead," Klaus said tersely.

" _It was as Stefan said; Hayley had Katherine… but there has been a development_."

"Another one," Rebekah muttered to herself. "I _knew_ we should have flown to Savannah instead."

There a pause on the other end of the phone. _"I don't know how she managed it, Klaus, but somehow she managed to acquire some of your blood - and she died with it in her system._ "

Klaus laughed. "That's impossible, Elijah, do you think I just leave samples of my blood lying about. You must have been mistaken-" He paused as the puzzles pieces fell into place. Hayley had been in Mystic Falls and he now knew she had an encounter with Caroline, it wouldn't be out of the realms of possibility that she'd stumbled across the blood bag he'd gifted to her. "No," he said aloud. "Even if she _did_ get her hands on my blood, she'd never risk being sired to me. "

_"Think again,"_ said an irritatingly familiar voice, and Klaus ground his teeth. The doppelganger was like an annoying gnat that flew and poked at his life. What he wouldn't do to get the chance of swatting her.

"Katerina," he said. "How _lovely_ to hear your voice again."

" _The feeling is mutual, I assure you_ ," she drawled. " _But, getting back to the point - Elijah was kind enough to stage a rescue while Hayley was enduring the unsiring process. We may have put a crimp on her plans but, I assure you, she will soon find another place to hole up in and continue the process."_

Klaus snorted, what could Hayley hope to gain by turning herself? A solitary mewling infant hybrid had little or no chance against an Original. The witch was more of a threat. She was powerful, she knew the area and the politics, and she _threatened_ Caroline. She was his first priority.

How long before you reach here," he asked.

" _We shall be there in about an hour,"_ Elijah said. " _I need some time to recover, I have been...bitten._ "

Rebekah laughed. "Knowing our luck, the girl probably has some strange werewolf version of rabies. Perhaps we should arrange for you to have a shot?"

" _As considerate as always, dear sister_ ," Elijah rumbled. " _I shall be there soon._ "


	9. Chapter 9

" _Be at the Toulouse Street Wharf in three hours_."

One sentence followed by an immediate hang up - no chit-chat and no chance to ask to ask to hear Matt's voice. Caroline threw Stefan a troubled look as they approached the water.

"What do you think?" she asked.

"I think it's a hot tourist spot with lots of people and not much cover. If she's smart, she'll make us board the steamboat."

Caroline quirked an eyebrow. "There's a steamboat?"

"Tourist trap," he said dismissively. "Lots and lots of curious eyes with cameras – clever witch."

"Yes, and if you could stop congratulating the witch on her kidnapping techniques for a few moments, maybe we could figure out a way to get the jump on her," Caroline grumbled.

"And by that, you mean a way of getting the jump on her without telling Klaus?" he asked.

"Why, do you miss him? I'm beginning to suspect that bromance of yours isn't as dead as you've said," she muttered.

"Is that a tinge of jealousy I hear, Miss Forbes?" he countered. "Tell me, who exactly are you jealous of - him or me?

Caroline threw him a narrow look. Did Stefan just make a joke about him and Klaus? A very _gay_ joke? Since when had Stefan acquired a sense of humour when it came to the original pain in their asses? Anger, sure, guilt, on occasion, maybe even a tinge of wistful nostalgia, but she would have bet a million bucks he was nowhere near making jokes about it yet. Maybe in a century or so… She scowled at her own thoughts, now she was even beginning to _sound_ like Klaus. Not a good sign. Her phone vibrated again and she snatched it out of her bag.

" _Board the Steamboat,"_ the witch said, before hanging up, and Caroline glared at Stefan, who only gave her a smug look.

"Look on the bright side," he said. "At least this way you'll get to see more of the city."

She elbowed him in the ribs. Sure, it was childish, but it also made her feel a bit better and she would take what she could get today.

~8~

It was barely midmorning when Elijah pulled over the SUV and gestured at them to get out. All in all, they'd made good time, despite this morning's hiccup. Elijah was now fully recovered from the hybrid bite and it hadn't taken them long to get Katherine suitably comfortable in her new subterranean quarters in the house. Klaus grinned at the memory of her outraged shriek when she saw the high, barred window, pallet mattress and chemical toilet. It had been music to his ears, if not as pleasing as the feel of her heart in his hands.

"The cabin is about another half mile down the road," Elijah said softly. "I suggest we walk the rest of the way and tread softly. A werewolf's hearing may not be as good as a vampire's but it's still better than a human's. "

Rebekah nodded and Klaus rolled his eyes as they both looked at him expectantly. "Oh, very well," he said. "Lead on."

Klaus smirked as they approached the cabin. He could hear a solitary werewolf in the outhouse, tending what smelled like a few scraggly goats, and a boy with the slightest whiff of unturned wolf about him in the cabin with Matt Donavan. This was going to be laughably easy. The only thing that soured the moment was the absence of the witch.

"The wolf in the outhouse is most probably the property owner," Elijah said under his breath. "I'll retrieve him while you try to separate the boy from Matt."

Klaus nodded, sharing a look with Rebekah as they stepped out of the brush and patted the leaves off their clothes. "Just so we're clear," she said casually. "If any harm comes to Matt you're going to wake up one morning to find I've gouged your eyeballs out with a spoon."

"I'll give you an A+ for inventiveness, dear sister," he said as they approached the cabin.

She gave him a wide, false smile and fluffed her hair. "Let me do the talking," she said. "Teenaged boys never see girls as a threat. Try not to look so intimidating – smile. "

Klaus stretched his lips over his teeth and Rebekah pulled a face. "I said smile not snarl," she said. "It's probably best if you stay out of direct line of sight." She pointed at the swing at the end of the porch.

Klaus rolled his eyes. "Just make it quick, Bekah, we don't have all day." She smirked at him as she pulled down the front of her top in order to show more cleavage. Kol may have had a point. Their sister was a trollop.

She tapped at the door and then leaned back against the porch rail, a coy expression on her lips. With a creak, the screen door opened and a boy with strangely familiar features looked out.

"Uh, can I help you?" he asked.

"I sure hope so," Bekah said, in what Klaus thought was the worst Southern accent he'd ever heard. "My phone doesn't have any reception and I'm plumb out of gas."

Klaus held back a snort. Surely the kid wasn't dumb enough to fall for that hoary old chestnut… He watched, bemused, as the kid took one, then two steps beyond the screen door. He had obviously underestimated the power of a teenager's hormones.

."Gotcha," Rebekah said triumphantly, clutching at his neck.

"Lemme go," he said indignantly. "Aaron is going to make mincemeat out of you."

"Oh, he is, is he?" she said, before calling over her shoulder. "Elijah?"

Elijah stepped into view, a disgruntled werewolf in his grip. "He's on vervein," he said, and Klaus rolled his eyes again.

"Rebekah, snap the boy's neck if he hasn't invited us in by the time I've counted to three," he said. "One, two-"

I invite you in," the werewolf said, and Klaus smiled. "There's a good werewolf," he said, as Rebekah dropped the boy and flashed inside. The kid staggered for balance as he rubbed his neck. Klaus studied his lowered chin and downcast eyes and suddenly realised who he was looking at. He began to laugh, flashing forward to grab his chin.

"So you're the brother," he said, tugging his face right, then left. "A half-brother, I suspect, but to a mongrel like Hayley, I suppose that's good enough. What's your name, kid?"

The boy spat at him. "I'm not telling you anything!"

Klaus raised an eyebrow. "Well, you've got spunk, I'll give you that," he said.

Rebekah appeared from the cabin, her arm around Matt's waist and a wide, relieved smile on her face.

"Hey," Matt said. "Took you long enough. Have you got Caroline?"

Klaus's eye narrowed. "Caroline is in Mystic Falls," he said.

Matt groaned. "Not anymore, she isn't," he said. "She's in New Orleans, meeting up with the witch."

"And why would she do that?" Klaus asked flatly.

"It was supposed to be an exchange - my freedom for hers," he admitted.

"I think we can surmise from your presence here that the witch has no intention of keeping her promise," Elijah said.

"She's desperate," Matt said. "In other circumstances, I might have actually felt sorry for her."

Klaus snarled. "Anyone who tries to ensnare me with a non-existent child and then follows that up by attempting to abduct Caroline is too stupid to live," he said.

"I was just saying," Matt muttered. "What are we going to do now?"

"We go and find Caroline," Klaus said, through gritted teeth. "Any pointers?"

"They said something about a steamboat," Matt said.

klaus nodded. "Only one of those is still operating out of New Orleans," he said. "The Natchez." He glared down at the boy who was glaring back up at him. "You're coming with me," he said. "Perhaps I can arrange a family reunion for you."

"And the werewolf?" Elijah asked softly.

Klaus looked at him. He was obviously an Alpha and on vervein, as well as working with the witch. His first instinct was to kill him - but a better idea came to mind. He now had a Doppelganger's blood and he knew enough about the unsiring process to prevent it from happening if he so wished it. "Bring him along too," he said. "I foresee an exciting new future for him."

~8~

Caroline sighed as she picked at the salad and listened to the music. The jazz band was good but the music was that cheesy stuff that wasn't really jazz at all. She watched the sour expression on Stefan's face deepen as they broke into another show band tune and took a deep gulp of her bourbon, ignoring the disapproving looks she was getting from the next table. She'd managed to compel the waiter into believing she was over twenty one but that didn't stop the judgemental looks from the other passengers. If only they knew the truth.

Stefan stiffened in his chair and threw his eyes towards the door as a troop of young and extremely fit looking men entered. Caroline immediately recognised the gait and the look. Werewolves – and enough of them to make a pack. Following them into the room was a young, attractive woman, with a bandana holding her dark hair back from her face. Caroline watched as her eyes scanned the room before resting on her. So the witch had come with werewolves but no Matt. Damn it, she hated it when Stefan was right.

The next few seconds happened so quickly, she couldn't be sure who moved first. She remembered Stefan upending the table, and the passengers running for cover as the band making a swift exit. A werewolf leapt through the air and pounced on Stefan, who was already baring his fangs. Great, just great - there was no way in hell Klaus wouldn't hear about this. They were well and truly rumbled.

Stunned, she watched as Stefan batted the werewolf to one side before falling on him and ripping out his throat. She watched, dazed, as he lifted his head from the werewolf. There wasn't a hint of self-loathing or a speck of fear in his eyes. The creature looking back at her was one hundred percent predator.

He snarled at the other werewolf that grabbed at Caroline's arm, and instinct took over as she backhanded the werewolf, sending him flying into the bandstand. The other wolves circled them and Caroline tried to remember whether the bite of an untransformed werewolf could kill. She knew a hybrid's bite was deadly, no matter when, but she'd only heard of a plain werewolf being dangerous on a full moon. She guessed she was going to figure out the truth right now. She snarled, showing her fangs, letting her eyes darken for full effect.

"Stop!" cried out a woman's voice and unadulterated agony ripped through her head. She heard Stefan's knees hit the floorboards beside her and felt a moment of thanks - if he was too busy fighting off the witch's magic, he wasn't killing anyone.

She felt a sting in her neck and the familiar burn of vervein filled her veins. Arms tugged at her as she felt her consciousness slip away as they dragged her onto the deck and manhandled her into a net.

"Stefan," she said as they lowered her over the side. "I can't leave Stefan."

"Sorry, sweetie," one of the werewolves said. "Only room for one vamp on our tugboat."

The vervein left her woozy but she managed to get out the words as she hit the deck of the smaller boat. "Ripper… he's a Ripper… you can't leave him there, not like that. He'll kill them all before they hit the dock."

The witch's face swam into view in front of her. It looked pale but determined. "I didn't think you'd bring the Salvatore brother," she admitted. "I thought you'd bring the Hybrid. That's why I brought the werewolves; I thought we could agree on a common goal."

Caroline coughed out a laugh. Bring Tyler within arm's reach of Klaus? Was this lady crazy? She closed her eyes, feeling the vervein pulling her under. Klaus was going to kill her for this.

But he'll kill them first.

~8~

It had been a dilemma. Silas didn't like to kill unnecessarily but Caroline had seen him feed and kill the werewolf. He could have abstained from killing the rest of the crew and passengers, and just compelled them to forget the dead body on the floor... but then Caroline would be suspicious. There was no way she'd believe Stefan could resist that amount of temptation.

Silas sighed as he licked the blood off his fingers. In the end, he'd made a compromise. He'd killed the tourists and compelled the crew - after dropping him off at an old disused dock downriver, they were to take the old steamboat out again and sink it.

He heard the slip of rubber soles on half dried blood and turned to see one of the crew tentatively step over the remains of one of the passengers.

"The captain said to tell you we're approaching dock, sir," the kid said and Stefan nodded, letting the boy wander back to his Captain. He wondered if he would survive the scuttling of the boat. He hadn't compelled them to go down the ship but compelled humans could sometimes lack a sense of self preservation. They only obeyed the words.

He stood as the boat approached the bank, his sharp eyes already making out the three Originals waiting for him. Nonchalantly, he swung himself overboard and landed lightly on the dock below.

"Ripper," Klaus, with a dark grin that promised pain and suffering. "I don't see Caroline."

"The witch got her," he said. "The werewolves helped. " A scent caught his nose. "You found Matt. Caroline will be pleased when she finds out."

The hybrid's lips curled back. "How about we dispense with the pleasantries and you can tell me exactly why you brought Caroline to New Orleans without informing me and how the witch ended up grabbing her?"

Silas sighed. "I'm going to need some decent bourbon for this," he said."You know a good bar around here?"


	10. Stem game

**A word of warning - I have characters do very mean things in this chapter. If you like your fic fluffy, this might be a tough one.**

* * *

Revenge could be very sweet.

Klaus studied the boy who glared back at him with resentful eyes. He had a temper, this one, but none of the darkness that Hayley had… but that would soon change. He turned to smirk at the Alpha, who was trapped in a chair specially designed for these occasions. With steel reinforced oak and iron restraints attached to the arms and feet, the chair perfectly fit its purpose. He had gagged the Alpha with rags drenched in wolfsbane for good measure. He was a mouthy one.

His blood was already in the werewolf's system and a couple of quarts of Katherine's blood were chilling in the fridge. All he needed now was to kill the Alpha and wait for the transformation - but there was nothing preventing him from killing two birds with one stone. He smiled, crooking a finger, and the boy stood reluctantly.

"What's your name, little wolf?" he asked.

"Bobby," the kid said reluctantly.

"Hello, Bobby," he said, with a knowing smile. "I've noticed there is no scent of vervein from you – do you know what that means?" The boy shook his head silently and Klaus's smile widened into a grin. "It means that it's my lucky day," he said, standing. At fourteen, the boy was too young to be turned. Anything under sixteen and the results was always rather boringly twisted… but he wasn't too young to realise his full potential as a _werewolf._ Hayley was going to rue the day she crossed an Original and his first piece of revenge would be the loss of her brother's innocence.

Klaus produced a dagger and gripped the boy's shoulder. He stared deep into Bobby's eyes and took away his free will. " _Here is a dagger, kid_ ," he said. " _I want you to take it and ram it into your friend's heart._ "

The boy slowly took the dagger from his hand and crossed the room. He could see the tears streak the Alpha's cheek but Klaus didn't have any room for mercy today. The blade slid in with a sickening wet sound, as Bobby stabbed him in the chest. A low muffled grunt came from the werewolf as his head lolled forward; blood covered his front like a gaudy apron, spraying a red mist over the boy.

He let out a low cry, dropping the dagger and slipping on the blood as he staggered backwards. He fell onto the floor but that didn't stop his retreat. Eventually, he hit the wall and curled into a tight, shivering ball. Klaus shrugged, it wasn't as if the death was permanent. The boy needed to toughen up a bit.

"For crying out loud, Nik – really?" Rebekah asked, exasperated, as she stalked into the room with Stefan on her heels. "We have guests in the house. Surely you could have moved this downstairs into more suitable accommodations."

Klaus rolled his eyes. "Calm yourself, little sister," he said. "I have the best cleaners on speed dial."

"I don't see how this helps us," Stefan asked. "The longer Caroline is in the witch's hands, the more likely she'll end up as collateral damage between her and Marcel."

"You don't have to remind me," Klaus snarled.

"You could have fooled me," Rebekah drawled.

"He had vervein in his system. Alive, it would take at least a day for him to become vervein free. This way, we don't even have to cut him to get what we want. The sirebond will be enough."

"You hope," Rebekah said archly.

"I _know_ ," Klaus said. "No more arguments, no more pussy footing around. I'm going to kill everyone who gets in the way of my _crown._ "

"Funny, I didn't hear the name Caroline in that sentence," Rebekah said.

"Stay out of things you don't understand, sister," he said lowly. "You'll only get a _headache_."

Stefan rolled his eyes. "And as charming as all this is, I think I'm going to get some fresh air," he said.

"Try not to leave too much of a body trail, Ripper," Klaus called after his disappearing back. "We want to keep a low profile until we're ready."

~8~

Why was it that she was always the one everyone used as a hostage? It was becoming so freaking old. The nasty aftertaste in her mouth that resulted from vervein poisoning was becoming a familiar friend, and the verveined soaked ropes were _not_ funny.

At least nobody had broken out the wooden bullets yet, she thought, although she may have talked too soon.

The old river cabin looked like it was held together with spit and glue and it definitely hadn't seen a dust rag recently. Cobwebs festooned the ceiling and doorways and she could clearly see footprints in the dust on the floor. She shuddered, looking away, and tried to think of something other than her current predicament – except that didn't help much because, instead of worrying about torture and poor hygiene, she was worried about Stefan going all Ripper on New Orleans and Matt getting killed by angry witches or _Klaus_ just losing his temper with everyone and chopping everyone's head off – and who had this kind of life? Caroline Forbes, that's who.

The door opened with an ominous squeak and Caroline scowled as the witch walked in.

"Good, you're awake, maybe now we can finally get this show on the road," she said.

Caroline glared at her. "And what show would that be – the flying circus? Because that's what Klaus is going to tell you when you contact him – to take a flying _leap_."

"You'd better hope not," the witch said dryly. "Because then I'd have no further use for you and I could just leave you with the werewolves and – just between us girls - they're kind of pissed at your friend, Stefan, for ripping one of their pack members to shreds and at Klaus for abducting their Alpha."

"Wow, very cute, because from where _I_ stand it's _you_ they have a bone to pick with, not me. You're the one who picked the fight and got them caught in the crossfire."

The smile slipped from the witch's face. "I'm Sophie Devereaux," she said.

"So I've heard – am I supposed to be impressed?"

"Not particularly," she said, with a shrug. "But it's always nice to know who you're talking to, isn't it? I need you to keep Klaus in line. It's nothing personal, but we kind of need some leverage now that the Hayley thing has fallen through. "

Caroline frowned. "The Hayley thing?" she echoed. "I know she was doing some spying for Klaus but what has that got to do with anything?"

"Oh, _spying_ , is that what they're calling it nowadays," Sophie said archly.

Caroline's eyes narrowed. "How about you drop the innuendo and just tell me what you're trying to say."

"Well, it's really quite easy, my little bloodsucker," the witch drawled. "We needed help finding out Marcel's little secret so we could kill him safely but the only vampire we knew that was powerful enough to take him on was Klaus."

"Well, I can see you're problem right there," Caroline said dryly. "Klaus doesn't like to do favours."

"Exactly," Sophie said. "Which is why we needed leverage - and along came Hayley, asking a lot of questions about her heritage; we got to talking about Marcel and how he'd driven out all of the werewolves into the bayou and she told me that she _knew_ Klaus."

"Oh yes, they're best buddies," Caroline sneered.

"Well, he liked her enough to bed her," Sophie said lightly, and Caroline stiffened. Had Klaus lied to Stefan? Had he been working with the were-bitch all along? Klaus and _Hayley_ … Caroline was pretty positive she'd just thrown up a little in her mouth, and she was going to totally ignore that crushed feeling in her chest. He wasn't the first guy to spin a girl a pretty lie. She was just glad she hadn't been stupid enough to fall for it.

Because that would be pathetic

"So…they're dating?" she asked aloud. Something must have shown in her voice because Sophie gave her a strange look.

"Not sure of the particulars," she admitted. "But they've been intimate enough for him buy our magical pregnancy story."

"A magical pregnancy…" Caroline echoed. For a moment, she was lost for words. She thought of Tyler. Could he have kids after all? "Is there any truth to it?" she blurted out. "Can hybrids have children?"

Sophie rolled her eyes. "Don't be ridiculous," she said. "Dead is dead, even if you started out a different sort of Supernatural. Otherwise every turned witch on the planet would be popping out little witch-vampire hybrids every chance they got – as if the hybrids we already have aren't trouble enough." She shuddered at the thought.

"Right," Caroline said, somewhat mollified. "Then I suppose I have only two more questions."

"And what are those?" Sophie asked, crossing her arms.

"One - where the hell is Matt?" she snapped.

"Klaus has him," Sophie said. "He took him when he took the werewolf Alpha."

Caroline sighed, a relieved smile spreading across her face. At least something had turned out right today. It left her with only one more thing to ask.

"Which brings me to question two," she said aloud. "Who the hell is _Marcel?"_

~8~

It hadn't taken much to slip away while they argued, betrayal under these circumstances probably hadn't even occurred to them. One of few the things Klaus didn't question was Stefans' friendship with Caroline, maybe because _he_ craved that friendship so much himself. Silas sighed, it wasn't that he didn't _care_ about Caroline but, now that he knew where the Doppelganger was kept, he also needed the Devereaux witch alive for his plan. He needed to prioritise.

He slipped into the cellar and quickly found the hidden door that Rebekah's mind had so helpfully provided directions for. It was well oiled and hung, so he doubted the vampires upstairs heard it through the brick and mortar. The corridor beyond was long and narrow and seemed to lead away from the house. At last, he came across a small row of cells and heard the steady, small breaths of a sleeping human.

"Katherine," he said quietly as he approached the cell and peered through the peek hole. He watched as her eyes sprung open as he rattled the handle.

"Stefan?" she asked. "What are doing here?"

"I'm here to get you out, what does it look like?" Stefan countered, his hand mangling the lock as he prised it from the frame. The door swung open and Katherine jumped to her feet, a wild eyed expression on her face.

"I don't understand. _Why_ are you helping me?"

Stefan resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "We have our differences but you're human now. You're supposed to be living a real life, the one you were always supposed to have, not spending your remaining days donating blood to the Hybrid cause."

Katherine sighed. "What would you know of living a real life, Stefan?" she asked. "By the time, I was twenty, I had my life, my reputation and my child ripped away from me. Becoming a vampire was probably the best thing that ever happened to me."

"Maybe that's true," Silas said. "But as long as you stay here, it's a choice you'll never get to make again."

She hesitated, just for a moment, and he saw the expression flit across her face. It was almost too fleeting to catch, but catch it he did. "How did you know?" he asked.

Stefan has a kind of…light," she said softly. "He had it when he was human and, somehow, he kept it when he was turned. You're Silas, aren't you?"

"Guilty as charged," Silas said, with a mocking half bow.

"I'm not going to go willingly," she said.

"No, I didn't expect you would," he murmured. "And, if it's any consolation, I'm sorry it had to come to this. I would have let you have your choice if it weren't for my predicament."

"And what predicament would that be?" she asked as she backed away from his encroaching steps.

"Loving too well," he murmured, as his eyes caught hers and dilated. " _You will follow me silently and do everything I say_."

~8~

Why was it, Hayley mused, that with the exception of the Lockwood's, every werewolf family she knew lived in a ramshackle old hut or a caravan? She eyed the old cabin warily. Denver Barnes was supposed to be a loner werewolf with a chip the size of Kilimanjaro on his shoulder and Hayley had thought he sounded like a good candidate for her new Hybrid pack but, first, she needed a safe place to finish the unsiring process. Maybe she should look on this as a test; she would turn him if he agreed to first watch her back while she changed. It seemed a fair exchange to her.

But she couldn't shake the feeling there was something off about the surrounding woods. Sure, the birds still sang undisturbed and the snakes still slunk in the grass but her new senses were tingling. Shrugging off the feeling, she climbed onto the porch and knocked. Steps crossed the room and then the door opened a sliver. Dark eyes looked out.

"Who the hell are you?" he grunted.

"The name is Hayley, can I come in?" she said.

"You're actually asking for an invitation?" he asked, but he widened the crack in the door, revealing his full height. He was at least 6'2" with dark curly hair, bright black eyes and sallow skin. He was cute, in a downtrodden kind of way. "C'mon in," he said.

With a coy smile, she stepped into the cabin, but the smile slid off her lips when she realised they weren't alone. She should have trusted her instincts.

"Hello, Hayley," Tyler said. "Long time no see."


	11. Consolidation of the Game

t had been an hour since they'd discovered Stefan had disappeared with Katherine.

The silence in the room had almost been deafening when Elijah revealed his discovery, after despositing both the newly made werewolf and the newly turned hybrid in the cells. Even Rebekah had found herself holding her breath as she waited for Klaus to explode - but then Elijah, surprisingly, disappeared out the door in a blur and she watched as Klaus clenched, then unclenched his hands before disappearing into the study; the fact he was holding onto his temper and had not exploded yet was even more worrying. She could hear him through the heavy doors as he harangued Damon Salvatore on the phone, demanding that he convince his brother to return the Doppelganger. It was Klaus's default tactic: intimidation.

Damon, of course, didn't know what he was talking about as neither Caroline nor Stefan had thought to inform him. Which, in itself, was rather strange - she could understand Caroline not mentioning it to the elder Salvatore, even an idiot could see those two don't get along – but Stefan leaving Mystic Falls without telling Damon or Elena what he was up to? That was…strange.

Rebekah's mind flashed back to the flicker of hurt on Klaus's face when they'd realised what had happened and began to laugh softly; betrayed by Stefan once again, if only it weren't so damned predictable.

"It doesn't make sense," Matt said. "Caroline is Stefan's best friend. There is no way he'd risk annoying Klaus while her life is at stake. He knows he needs Klaus's help to find her. He wouldn't put that in jeopardy just to free Katherine. He _hates_ her."

"Welcome to our side of the fence," Rebekah said dryly. "Stefan Salvatore's actions rarely make sense, he moves to the bang of his own drum – and hate is a very strong word."

"Uhuh," Matt's eyes rolled to the closed doors of the study. "So, on a scale of one to ten, how angry is he?"

"I'd liken it to Vesuvius just before the ash cloud," Rebekah drawled. "All those clipped vowels – never a good sign with my brother."

"And Elijah?" Matt ventured.

"He's still out searching for Katherine." She stood abruptly and picked up her phone. "I think it's time we stopped pretending we're going anywhere until we've retrieved Caroline and Katherine, and settled this mess in New Orleans - don't you? We're not going to get any answers staying here, so how about we go for a little drink at this bar I know."

"What kind of bar would that be?" Matt asked, giving her suspicious look that she, of course, completely deserved.

"The vampire kind, of course," she said, giving him an arch smile as she led them out of the room, grabbing her coat and Klaus's car keys along the way. It was a bit of a dive, to be honest, and definitely not worth dressing up for.

"But won't that bring us to the attention of Marcel?" he asked.

" _Now_ you're getting it," Rebekah said. "Don't worry, I'll protect you. Not that it will come to that. Not even Marcel is foolish enough to go toe to toe with an Original."

"No, but he might rip the heart out of her boyfriend's very mortal body," he said dryly.

Rebekah grinned widely as she turned to look at him "Matthew Donavan, did you just call yourself my boyfriend?" she said _._ "I would definitely say that was cause for a drink – come along! _"_

On impulse, she grabbed his hand and Matt rolled her eyes but didn't deny his words as he followed her out of the house. Perhaps their visit to New Orleans had not been a complete waste after all, Matt seemed to be coming around to the idea of them being more than a fling. Glancing around the street, she activated the car key and a black sedan parked on the street chirped. Good enough, she thought, as she opened the doors and slid into the driver's seat.

"Do you think it's a good idea to steal Klaus's car, considering the mood he's in?" Matt asked.

"It's either this, or I walk in these heels," Rebekah said, as she started up the engine. "Buckle up, it's going to be a rocky night."

~8~

For a split moment, Hayley wildly wondered what to say, but then realised the question was redundant as Tyler barrelled into her and she felt her feet leave the floor as she was catapulted backward. The impact shuddered through her bones as she landed flat on her back in the weed grass beyond the werewolf's porch. If she were still mortal, there was a good chance the tackle would have killed her. As it was, having a hundred and sixty pounds of pissed off hybrid holding her down whilst cutting off her air supply with his forearm, didn't exactly make for a tender reunion.

"Well, if it isn't the traitor… looking for another pack to kill?" Tyler hissed, his eyes bleeding into amber as his temper took the reins. Venom dripped from his fangs as he pressed harder into her windpipe, and she felt her vision whiten around the edges. Lack of oxygen wouldn't kill her, but even the undead need oxygenated blood to make the wheels go around. There was a good chance she'd pass out soon.

Did Tyler know she was a Hybrid or was he actually trying to kill her?

With a silent snarl, she bucked underneath him as her eyes shifted colour and her fangs extended. She jerked her head, snapping at the air just in front of his face. For just a moment, the pressure on her throat slackened and Hayley bucked again, throwing him off her. She rolled and bounced to her feet. Claws, teeth and eyes fully transformed.

"You're a hybrid?" he eventually said, after a moment's shock. Well, that answered her question; Tyler Lockwood had been trying to kill her. She sure knew how to pick 'em. He began to shift on his feet and Hayley recognised the move, he was trying to circle her.

With a sinking realisation, she knew there was no door number three. She either stayed put and allowed him to potentially blindside her from another angle, or moved in tandem and risk putting herself in the line of fire of the werewolf they'd left behind in the cabin. Running was not an option, you never ran from a wolf, especially an Alpha… in the end, she decided she'd rather be killed by a stranger rather than the man she loved; she moved her feet.

"What are you doing here, Tyler?" she asked. "If you're looking for your Doppelganger chew toy, I'm afraid she and I have parted ways."

He growled lowly. "I'm sure Klaus liked his gift – what was his reward? Let me guess, he turned you and now you're his bitch. Mind you, you've never needed the sirebond for that, did you? You're a pro at rolling over."

Hayley flinched, it was more accurate than she'd like to admit, but she wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of knowing he'd hit his target. "Wrong Mikaelson," she said, arching an eyebrow. "Elijah was her knight in shining armour. Klaus didn't give me anything. I took it – from _Caroline_ , actually."

"From Caroline?" Tyler echoed, stopping in his tracks, and Hayley smothered a grin. Sometimes he was just too easy to play.

"Oh, didn't your sweetheart tell you about her own private Klaus Mikealson blood supply - all pretty and wrapped up in a refrigerated bow? Correct me if I'm wrong, isn't blood sharing a big deal for vampires? I've never gone there but you should know - I mean, you can't feed from Caroline, obviously, all that nasty venom, but surely she can feed from you…or is Klaus the only Hybrid she's fed from-"

This time, Hayley was ready as he flashed forward, She sidestepped at the last possible moment and jabbed a clawed hand through his ribcage. The moment froze as Tyler's eyes widened, and Hayley felt his heart, held within her clawed grasp, throb with fear.

"I wouldn't move, if I were you," she said flatly.

"Funny, I was going to say the same to you," he said, even as beads of sweat formed on his brow. Hayley stiffened as the brush shivered around them and she counted the werewolves stepping into view. They were eight of them, more than enough to take down a newborn Hybrid. "It seems we've reached an impasse," Tyler said.

Hayley smirked. "Are you offering a truce?"

He raised his eyebrow at her. "What are you offering?" he asked.

"Besides your life?" she asked. He gave her a cool look and the werewolves around her tightened their circle. She pulled a face. "I can give you Klaus," she said. Tyler tilted his head and studied her and Hayley wondered what he was looking for. Tyler could never tell when she was lying.

"Go on," he eventually said. "I'm listening." With a nod, she eased her hand out of his chest and he collapsed onto his knees. On instinct, she leaned in to help but, as one, his pack snarled at her, and Tyler's hand waved her off. "Just talk," he said quietly.

So she did.

~8~

Sophie Devereux had built her reputation on her word. It was one of the reasons she had been initially reluctant to lie to Klaus before she allowed her sister to talk her into it.

Sometimes, it seemed that everything crumbled apart after that moment, as if the spirits were somehow punishing her for that one, small lie that had tumbled out of control, leading to Marcel killing Jane Anne, Klaus abducting Bobby and Aaron, and the Ripper killing all those innocents on the steamboat. All that blood on her hands.

But in those moments, when she was tempted to give up, she'd remember the look of surprise on her dead sister's face and the etched name in the glass.

Caroline Forbes.

She eyed the blonde tied to chair, once again unconscious after a second dose of vervein. This was the vampire who had killed a coven to save a Bennett witch. This was the vampire Klaus was so enamoured with. None of these facts presented her with a solution to her problem. What was so special about this girl?

 _A sign_ , she silently prayed _, I know it's a lot to ask for but I need another sign_.

The latch lifted on the door, startling her, and she quirked an eyebrow at Joe as he hovered in the doorway. "Uh, Sophie, could you step out here for a moment?" he asked, a quiver in his voice.

Sophie looked at him, up and down. "What's wrong?" she asked.

"We've got a visitor," he said, his eyes shifting to Caroline. "One without an invite."

 _Vampire_ , Sophie thought, as she got to her feet. She picked up the crossbow leaning against the wall. It was already loaded with a wooden tipped arrow. The werewolves had brought it along just in case the vervein swimming in Caroline's veins somehow wore off.

Stefan Salvatore was standing in the middle of the clearing, holding Katherine Pierce by the throat and completely surrounded by werewolves. Sophie felt her mouth run dry as she realised the rumours were true – the doppelganger was human.

"You've got a nerve showing your face here, Ripper," she said hoarsely. "I know what you did on that boat."

"You knew what I'd do on that boat even before it happened and you still walked away," he drawled. "You have no high ground to stand on."

Guilt reared its head but Sophie crushed it. She wasn't about to let this vampire push her buttons. "Take him," she said.

The werewolves did not move.

Sophie felt the hairs on the back of her neck rise as she suddenly noticed the werewolves' stiff postures and wild eyes. It couldn't be true. They were all on vervein, they couldn't be compelled.

"I'm so sorry," Joe said softly, as he stepped away from her side. "I tried to resist him. Really, I did."

He moved so fast – so very, very fast – and she felt all coherent thought slip away as he looked deep into her eyes. "A good old fashioned, New Orleans witch," he murmured. "Just what the ritual ordered."

 


	12. Zugzwang

 

" _Caroline…Caroline?_ "

It was like swimming to the surface after a very deep dive. Every single part of her ached and throbbed but she couldn't move and her eyelids felt too heavy to lift.

" _Caroline, you need to wake up. I'm getting you out of here_."

"Stefan?" the name left her lips like a garbled mess, and she wondered if she were drooling. Oh yes, very attractive, Forbes. Grimacing, she opened her eyes and a familiar face swam into view. "Stefan, how did you find me?" she asked, letting the relief wash over her before she remembered the true extent of their problem. "Please tell me you didn't come here alone. You can't take on a pack and witch all by yourself and I'm in no condition to help."

His eyes shifted away as he pulled his sleeves over his hands and tugged at the vervein soaked ropes binding her. Caroline had that familiar sinking sensation she got when she knew she was about to hear something she didn't like.

"Stefan," she mumbled. "Tell me you didn't do something stupid."

"I've made a deal," he said.

"A deal with whom?" Caroline said, confused. There were so many twists and turns to the last few days she was finding it difficult to keep it straight.

"I made a deal with Sophie – you for the Doppelganger."

It sort of made sense, except for the parts that didn't. "How did you get Katherine?" she asked.

"Klaus had her," he said, and Caroline felt something clench in her stomach. So Tyler had been right all along. Hayley had been working for Klaus…and sleeping with him.

"How did you get her away from him," she asked.

"that part wasn't difficult," Stefan said. "He was otherwise occupied at the time, turning a werewolf into a hybrid. You know how he gets."

Yes, she knew exactly how he got, and she couldn't believe how stupid she'd been to even let herself forget it for a moment. "How long do you think they've been together?" she asked.

Stefan gave her a bemused look. "How long who've been together?"

"Klaus and Hayley?" she asked, irritably.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Stefan asked, as he pulled her to her feet. "Klaus and Hayley aren't together."

Caroline was pretty sure this conversation would have given her a headache if she didn't already have one. "So what are they, then – fuck buddies?" she asked sharply. He gave her an oddly amused look, that wasn't at all like the usual sour expression he had when he discussed Klaus. _Oh god,_ Caroline thought _, he's gone full on Ripper again_. _Soon he'll be club hopping with Klaus and draining the chorus girls dry…_

"Listen, I don't know what you've heard, Caroline," Stefan said, interrupting her thoughts. "But Hayley and Klaus are definitely not fuck buddies – at least, not any more. Last time I saw him, he was mentally torturing her kid brother because she stole the blood he gave you and abducted the Doppelganger. Never let it be said Klaus doesn't know how to hold a grudge."

"But you said that _Klaus_ had the Doppelganger," Caroline said, confused.

"Because Elijah rescued her from Hayley," Stefan explained.

"Oh god, this I beginning to sound like a soap opera," Caroline muttered. "Let's go home. Matt is safe and I have classes starting next week. I need some normal and New Orleans is making my head hurt." And her heart hurt, but she was never, ever going to admit that aloud, not now. It was time to go home and set some realistic expectations for herself; no more Klaus… and no more Tyler.

And she wasn't going to cry.

"Hey, Care," Stefan said softly, pushing her hair back. "I'm sorry, but I can't go with you."

Caroline frowned at him. "Why not?" she asked. "This isn't because of Katherine, is it?"

He shook his head. "The witch wouldn't let you go unless I stayed too," he said, as the door opened and the witch and one of the werewolves stepped inside.

"What? No! I'm not going to leave you here!" she said. "I'll stay too."

"That isn't the deal, Care," he said. "Sorry."

The werewolf lifted up a syringe and Caroline let out a whimper, despite herself. Not _more_ vervein, she wasn't sure if she could take it.

"It's not vervein," Stefan said, as if he read her mind. "They wanted to make sure you brought a message back to Klaus and, apparently, spending their lives under Marcel's shadow has taught them a few tricks… distilled wolf venom, collected during the last full moon."

"Of course it is," Caroline said hoarsely. "What else would it be?"

Her head exploded as Sophie triggered an aneurism and, faintly, she heard Stefan say: "I'm sorry, Caroline, it was the only way."

~8~

I love it when a plan comes together, don't you?" Kol said, as Bonnie watched Sophie bundle an already feverish Caroline into the truck.

"Shut up, Kol," Bonnie replied automatically. She hadn't been expecting the werewolf venom. She hadn't expected a lot of things. Like an idiot, she'd assumed Caroline would go to Klaus for help the moment she got to New Orleans. She'd thought Caroline would be protected because, goddess only knew, if there was the only think Klaus was good for, it was protecting Caroline…when he wasn't trying to kill her, that is.

So many variables she hadn't planned on; what else could go wrong?

She watched uneasily as they witch swayed and struggled under Silas's control. She'd known this would happen; had counted on it, in fact. Silas had only thought of one thing during those two thousand years of incarceration and she didn't see him giving up on his plan anytime soon. He had a witch, he had his doppelganger and he had his 'cured' vampire. She had no doubt he had people scouring the country looking for a witch of the Bennett line. He'd find someone eventually and _then_ she'd make her move.

Every spell has a failsafe. For the Mikaelsons, it was the wood of the White Oak tree – but, for Silas, it wasn't the type of oak that mattered, but what that oak was dipped in – Quetsiah's blood. _That_ 's why he'd wanted the stone.

But Silas had forgotten to factor one thing in –with the Bennetts, the magic was always about the blood. It was what made them so dangerous and it was why the spirits tried _so_ hard to keep them in line. It was also why Silas's weakness didn't die with the dissipation of Quetsiah's blood.

Any Bennett's blood would do.

She heard the rumble of a van's engine come up the dirt track, passing the truck as it left, and frowned. Silas sauntered towards it, crooking his finger at the werewolves. They shuffled towards the van when a vampire Bonnie didn't recognise got out of the driver's seat.

"Silas," he said. "I've got what you asked for, although the second one on the list was a bit gross. I hadn't realised you could be both water logged and shrivelled up at the same time."

"Yes, well, he's been on an all water diet for the summer – you didn't feed him, did you?"

"Are you kidding me? I wasn't exactly keen to get a live re-enactment of the Ripper of Monterey's Chicago years, if you know what I mean," the vampire said. "No, I just verveined him to keep him quiet for the journey – same with other one, although she was a lot easier on the eyes, if you know what I mean."

The other one? Bonnie turned to Kol, who was lounging on the porch with an amused expression on his face.

"Don't look at me," he said. "I just haunt here."

Bonnie rolled her eyes and turned to watch the werewolves unload the van. Two oak coffins were marched into house and she wondered why the older vampires couldn't help but give into the cliché. Kol must have noticed her inner amusement because he took it as a sign to start pestering her again.

"So, are you up for an evening of witchy bedevilment?" he asked, as he followed her into the house. "It's only been a little over a day since you drained your reserves leaving your love letter to the witch."

"I've got enough," she said, shoving him away as he stepped into her personal space. It must be a Michelson thing. "It's easier when they're related to you - besides, it'll probably be a while before he finds another Bennett."

"Perhaps that's who is in the other coffin," Kol mused, as they pried at the coffin lids.

"No, the driver said it was vampire-" The words dried up in her mouth as it clicked into place. Oh no, please let her be wrong. She pushed forward, her eyes glancing over Stefan's desiccated form before moving onto the next. She bit back a cry.

"Bonnie, you know her?" Kol asked, softly now.

Bonnie nodded silently. "Her name is Abby Bennett," she eventually got out. "She's my mother."

~8~

The music was loud, the alcohol was cheap, the lights flashed crazily and the dance floor was packed to the gills even though it was barely past dusk. It was the perfect hunting ground for vampires, or so Rebekah had told him when they'd entered.

Matt sipped at his beer uneasily as he watched the figures sway under the jarring lighting system. It was not unlike watching a stop animated film as the dancers were lit for a split moment before being plunged into darkness. He wondered how many were going to die on that dance floor tonight.

Rebekah sighed before taking another sip of her champagne, and then made a little grimace. Matt hid his grin as he watched her struggling not to say something about the cheap vintage. It was one of their rules – Matt would try not to criticise her wish to feed from humans as long as she didn't kill somebody, and she would try to be less elitist and snobbish in her tastes. He hadn't got her to drink beer yet, but at least she wasn't compelling the bartender to run out and get her a bottle of Krug… like she did in Milan.

They'd been sitting in the club for nearly four hours and they'd still not seen hide or hair of the elusive Marcel. This was unusual, according to Rebekah, as the club was part of his regular nightly circuit.

"He has a late night jazz club a few streets over," she mused aloud. "Perhaps we should go there after you've finished your… pint."

This time Matt didn't even try to cover his grin, and watched as the corner of her lips curled up reluctantly. He took a pointed sip of his drink and then draped his arm over her shoulders. She leaned into him.

"Maybe we should have stayed away," she said. "England has some wonderful universities."

"Nah," he said. "I couldn't deal with all that rain."

She rolled her eyes at him. "Australia, then, I'll bet you'd love to play football – _real_ football, that is."

"Oh no, I'm not falling for that old jibe," he said. "Besides, I think if I were going to play something other than classic American Football, I'd lean more towards Rugby."

"A closet Rugger Bugger, I'd never have guessed," she teased.

"Oh, I'm full of hidden surprises," he drawled and then froze in his seat as he glanced across the bar. There were many things Matt expected to see tonight - dead bodies and angry vampires, for one, but he really, really hadn't expected to see Tyler Lockwood sharing a drink with that Hayley girl, along with a guy he'd never seen before. He nudged Rebekah, who nodded and placed a finger over her lips as she dragged him in for a long, lingering kiss before pressing her lips to his ear.

"We're leaving; hide your face if you can."

Without a word, he picked up his jacket and slid his arm around her waist, pulling her close as he kept his head down. The New Orleans heat hit him as they stepped outside but Rebekah kept going, dragging him along with her as she picked up her pace. They turned the corner and, at last, they made it to the sedan and Rebekah hurriedly ushered him into it, her eyes darting up and down the street. In a literal flash, she was in the car with him and starting the engine. She didn't open her mouth until they were three blocks away.

"That guy they were talking to was Marcel," she said. "They were telling him everything; about the witches and their plot to kill him, and Klaus's involvement."

"What does that mean?" Matt asked nervously.

"It means things are about to get very bloody," she said. "Let's hope we find the witches before they do or Caroline won't survive."

"Tyler won't let anything happen to Caroline," Matt protested. "He loves her."

"Tyler is not the one in charge," Rebekah said flatly, leaving one hand on the wheel as she dialled her phone with the other. "The idiot gave up what little power he had in this game the moment he went to Marcel. I'm guessing it was Hayley who convinced him to do that. She has the most to gain by throwing her lot in with him." She cursed under her breath as Klaus's cell went to voicemail and put her foot down on the accelerator. "We need to move _quickly_."

~8~

"Are you trying to tell me Stefan Salvatore has disappeared into thin air?" Klaus said, through gritted teeth.

" _All I can discern is that he's no longer in New Orleans but I suspect he hasn't gone far, he's probably in the hinterlands, out by the bayou._ " There was a sharpness to Elijah's usually soft voice that told Klaus he wasn't as calm as he was pretending. He may be feigning indifference but he knew Elijah still harboured feelings for the Doppelganger. Feelings he was trying desperately to ignore.

"Call me when you have something solid," he snarled, before hanging up. He resisted the urge to crush the cell phone between his fingers or smash it against the wall and swung open the doors into the drawing room. Where the hell was Rebekah?

He scowled at the clock on the mantel piece. It was already night and he didn't have one solid lead on the whereabouts of Caroline or Stefan, and he still had Marcel breathing down his neck. The urge to run reared in his mind but he pushed it down forcefully. It was the first thing he promised himself the night he broke the Sun and the Moon curse – no more running.

A weak tap on the front door caught his attention and he stepped into the Foyer just in time to see someone try the handle. Klaus bared his teeth in a harsh grin at the thought of some murder and mayhem. Whoever was on his doorstep tonight had picked the wrong evening to come a calling.

He wrenched open the door, ready to tear a head off, only find himself with an armful of blonde instead. Before he even knew what was happening, she had already wriggled out of his grasp.

Just so we're clear," Caroline said, her eyes glittering feverishly bright as she glared at him. "I really, really _hate_ you again.

He caught her before she slumped to the floor.


	13. Touched piece rule

Blood.

Delicious blood, warm from the vein, Caroline held his wrist close, barely registering the hand that stroked her hair as she latched on tighter. Klaus always got almost creepily intimate when she fed from him. Caroline could feel the poison dissipate from her system as she drank greedily, and her senses began to extend out again. They were in a room with long, sash windows and dark sombre colours; cocoa coloured walls and dark wood floors. Even the coverlet they were lying on was a chocolate brown. The entire décor screamed _Klaus_.

Ugh, they were on his bed and the lying asshole had propped her up against him. Couldn't he have put her on a couch? She let his wrist drop and struggled to sit up.

"Had enough, love?" he asked, and she couldn't discern if it were genuine concern or just mockery. She ignored him and stumbled to the door that she hoped led to bathroom.

"I'll take that as a yes, then," he muttered under his breath, although Caroline knew only too well she was supposed to hear it. The mirror didn't present a pretty picture when she entered the room. Had they rolled her in dirt on their way from the boat to the hut? She grimaced as she noticed the blood still staining her lips and resisted the urge to lick it off, reaching for a washcloth instead. She'd had enough of Klaus to last a lifetime – him with his false promises and flirty texts.

She scrubbed at her face, trying to ignore the sting of tears in her eyes. She would not _cry_ , damn it. There was still Stefan to rescue… and Katherine, she thought reluctantly. She examined her clothing, they were a complete mess. She was booked into the hotel for another two days and they still had Stefan's credit card details – unless Stefan had checked them out. She frowned at her reflection. It was definitely a possibility.

Caroline jumped as she heard a door slam downstairs, but then smiled when she heard Matt's familiar voice. She could also hear Rebekah's voice but sometimes you had to take the bad with the good – now if she could only do something with her hair…

"Nik? Elijah? God damn it! Where the hell are you? Couldn't you have answered your phones for once in your lives?" Rebekah's voice rang through the house and she couldn't help but grin when she heard Klaus sigh.

"Up here, Bekah," she heard Klaus say. "And I'm sure Elijah heard you too, wherever he is." Caroline opened the bathroom door just as Rebekah entered the room.

"Nik, we have a problem – good grief, Caroline, were you dragged through a bush backwards?"

"Nice to see you too, Rebekah. Yes, I'm just fine, thank you for asking," Caroline sniped back.

"Oh please, stop with the act," she said coldly. "I know you're here with Tyler. I'd advise you to run back to him before the bodies start falling."

"Whoa, slow down a minute! What are you talking about?" Caroline said. "What makes you think I'm here with Tyler?"

"If that's the best your acting skills can pull off, I wouldn't consider it for a career," Rebekah said, the sneer on her face blossoming into a full on glare. "Did you actually think we wouldn't find out that traitor boyfriend of yours had gone tattling to Marcel? He even had that werewolf, Hayley, to provide the proof – although I suppose we should start getting used to calling her a hybrid now, thanks to the blood Nik gave _you_." Caroline's head whirled; Tyler was in New Orleans with Hayley? Hayley was a hybrid – Hayley had been in her _dorm room_? When the hell had that happened? Two days ago Tyler had been ready to kill her… no, she corrected herself, two days ago, he'd been ready to kill _Klaus._

_Oh Tyler, what have you done?_

Crossing her arms, she glared back at Rebekah. "I don't know what you think you know, but I didn't come here with Tyler, I came here with Stefan to find Matt. Do you actually think I'd voluntarily bring Tyler within a hundred mile radius of Klaus, are you crazy? If I'd had my way, I'd have come and gone from this damned city and you'd never would have known I was _here_." She took a breath and caught the struggling expression on Klaus's face. The bastard didn't believe her – the cheek!

"Besides," she carried on flatly, turning on him. "Aren't you the one sleeping with the were-bitch? How do I know _you_ didn't turn her; this could all be just an elaborate plan to kill Tyler without it coming back to you." If it weren't so pathetic, she'd have found the expression of guilt on his face funny. She guessed that answered that question, then, the witch hadn't been lying.

"Oh please," Rebekah piped up. "If that were true, why would they be talking to Marcel?"

Caroline rolled her eyes. "It's Hayley, if she _breathes_ , she's betraying someone."

"Hmm, she's got a point," Rebekah said to Klaus. "But I suppose it's all immaterial right at this moment. Marcel will be here once he thinks he's gathered enough lackeys to take us. We could stand and fight but it might be just a waste of our time. I say we regroup in the other property and let them chase their own tales."

"Oh, by all means, go ahead," Caroline drawled. "I'll be just on my way. "

A vice like grip encircled her arm and she glared up at Klaus. "I'm going to my hotel and I'm going to figure out a way to rescue Stefan from that blasted witch – and that is your fault too, you know. Have you been blabbing my name all around town? She actually thought she could use me to get to you. She obviously didn't know about your short attention span." She tried to pull her arm away but he wouldn't budge.

"What's going on – Caroline!"

Caroline felt a moment of pure relief when Klaus gave way to allow Matt's hug. She could feel the heat of both of the Mikaelsons' glower but decided to ignore it. Matt was a taste of home, dependable and never changing, which was more than she could say about the other people in her life.

"You shouldn't have come, Caroline," he murmured. "Things are going to get very messy here."

She gave his shoulder a light thump. "As if I was going to sit at home and let that witch have you."

"Yes, yes, I'm sure our hearts are suitably warmed by this tender scene, but we need to _move,"_ Rebekah said sharply. "Klaus?"

Klaus nodded. "We'll use the tunnels," he said. "I have a couple of SUV's waiting in the shed on the other end. We'll move to the other property. Marcel doesn't know about it. It's too new of an acquisition and I covered my tracks - it's under the name of a human." He grabbed Caroline's arm again and started pulling her into the hallway.

"Hey!" she said. "I'm not going _anywhere_ with you."

He came to a dead stop and rounded on her. "For all I know, Caroline, Rebekah is right, it wouldn't be the first time you've helped your friends to try and kill me, after all!"

Caroline let out a sour laugh. "And here was I thinking we'd moved beyond this," she said. "Which just shows me how much of an idiot I am; I can't believe I actually let myself believe a word coming out of your mouth. "

He was angry, insanely angry, Caroline recognised the signs but, at this moment, she couldn't bring herself to care. For a moment, she thought he was going to roar and shake her to see what came out, but instead he just continued to drag her down the stairs. "We'll discuss this later," he barked.

~8~

Tyler Lockwood was in way over his head.

It had taken him exactly five minutes to figure that out but, by then, it was already too late. He hadn't known how far he was under until he realised Hayley was listing off all Klaus's weaknesses to Marcel; namely, the white oak stake, his family… and Caroline Forbes.

He said stiffly, nursing the bourbon in his glass as Marcel leaned into Hayley, a wide smile on his face that reminded him of a shark's. The moment Hayley mentioned Caroline's name he wanted to get the hell out of here, dragging Hayley after him. They'd agreed to tell Marcel about the witch's plot against him and Klaus's involvement, she wasn't supposed to drag Caroline into it.

Why hadn't he expected that? He wasn't stupid; Tyler knew exactly how Hayley felt about him even though he'd pretended not to notice. It was one of the reasons he had trusted her, you didn't betray the ones you loved, right? He was an idiot and Caroline was going to kill him… if he actually survived this, that is.

He saw the way Marcel latched onto the thought of the White Oak stake and resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "I wouldn't get too excited, if I were you," he interjected. "You don't strike me as the suicidal type."

Marcel let out a loud laugh that sounded more like a warning. "Is that a threat?" he asked easily.

"He's your Sire, right?" Tyler countered, smiling as he saw the surprise flash in his eyes. It hadn't been that much of a leap; he's seen the same resentful look in his own refection. "Well, what the delightful Hayley here has left out is that, when you kill the Original who created your bloodline, you die too – and I'm guessing that every single vampire in this room is a blood relation of yours, so…" He shrugged, letting his meaning sink into the minds of the vampires placed strategically though the crowd in the club.

He allowed himself a sharp smile at Hayley, who glowered back at him. Payback was a bitch. "And, while we're at it, Klaus has watched two of his brothers die in the last year without so much as lifting his finger in revenge, so I doubt family is as important to him as Hayley suggests – and as for Caroline? I think Hayley's pettiness is getting the better of her. Caroline is _my_ girlfriend, not Klaus's."

"If you think she hasn't spread her legs for him, you're an idiot," Hayley said flatly.

"I think the only person I know that's stupid enough to think that having sex with a sociopath means they've got some kind of love connection is _you_ – isn't that what got you into this mess in the place?" he struck back, feeling a flicker of satisfaction as he noticed he'd hit his target.

"My, my, I'm beginning to suspect there are some unresolved issues between you two," Marcel drawled, leaning back into his seat.

"You don't even know the start of it," Tyler said. "However, I do know _one_ way of putting Klaus in the ground, at least until someone is stupid enough to dig him up again."

"I'm listening," Marcel drawled, his eyes crawling over them as if they were insects under a glass. Tyler was beginning to suspect there was lot to that old saying, better the devil you know that the one you don't, because right now a face-off with Klaus was looking almost desirable. At least, with Klaus, you knew the risks and the repercussions; this guy, though… this guy was a snake.

Tyler shook off the feeling. It was too late for second thoughts. "You're going to need a witch, a desiccation spell and a heart to stop." He told him. "Think you can manage that?"

"I rule New Orleans, city of the witch, what do _you_ think," Marcel said, with an easy smile.

Hayley glowered at him but he ignored her. As things stood, she was lucky she was still alive… why _was_ she still alive? He snorted, shifting in his chair. Sometimes it was better not to look too closely at things.

~8~

She had it so neatly planned out. Silas would snatch a Bennet witch for the ritual sacrifice and Bonnie would use their bloodline connection to possess her, like Esther had with Rebekah. She was strong, stronger than all the Bennett witches before her, even Quetsiah. All she'd have to do is buy enough time to bleed herself and soak a few stakes. Between her, Stefan, and Katherine, one of them would have succeeded.

"It has to be a witch, right?" Kol asked. "A vampire won't be enough."

Bonnie blinked away the tears in her eyes. She was dead, so why was she still crying? "It's not enough for us, but it's enough for him," she said. "If I tried to connect with my mother, there's a strong chance I'll just succeed in unmooring my mother's spirit from her body – she's already technically dead, after all."

Kol frowned. "But it isn't that what my mother did to Rebekah?"

"Yes, well, newsflash, your mother is an uncaring bitch," Bonnie snapped.

"You'll get no argument from me," Kol said, shrugging. "So, plan B?"

Bonnie threw him a dirty look. "This _was_ plan B, Kol."

"Is this a good time to point out that if you'd taken my advice and let the veil stay down we wouldn't be in this predicament?"

"Oh yes, I can see it now; Mystic Falls, where the vengeful spirits come back for _seconds_." She took a deep breath. She hadn't considered the downside of using expression magic. It was the grace of the spirits that allowed a spell to live on after a witch's death, that's why a witch, white or dark, had their powers tied to the spirit world. Expression broke that connection, severing the magic's connection to the spirit world. Why hadn't she realised that? Had Silas clouded her mind _that_ much?

A thought occurred to her and she turned to look at Kol.

"What?" he asked, suddenly wary.

"I have an idea," she said.

"I'm not going to like this, am I?"

"Actually, I think you might," she drawled. "The full moon is in two days and Silas, with his coffins and rituals of three, is a traditionalist. What would you say if I told you I could give you a forty eight hour pass out of this hellhole?"

"I'm listening – what's the catch?" he said suspiciously.

"Other than digging yourself out of your own coffin?" she asked. He wrinkled his nose but motioned for her to continue. "Like I said, there is only a fifty fifty chance of this working but, as you're already fully dead, you've got nothing to lose. You're going wake up hungry. Don't kill anyone. Find some bunnies, raid a hospital, I don't care, but don't kill anyone."

"And?" he asked. "What are you leaving out? Do I need to find a fresh Bennett witch?"

Bonnie shook her head. "No, Mom's blood will be enough. Tell her… tell her I love her."

"You can tell her yourself when you see her in a couple of days, darling." He said, with a quick smile. "So what do I do?"

Suddenly, Bonnie grinned. "Enjoy the ride," she said and _pushed._

"Bloody-"


	14. Weak square

This was a punishment; it _had_ to be a punishment, Sophie thought, as she sat stiffly in the wooden chair, his compulsion gripping her mind like an iron vice. Her eyes darted around the room as she desperately tried to keep track of Silas’s movements without being able to move her head. She’d heard the rumours, of course, but it was one thing to hear a rumour and another thing to have a myth strolling through your life.

Silas, the bogie man of every little witch’s childhood; the one who would haunt your dreams with promises of wishes fulfilled, only to snuff out your free will with a brush of his mind. Silas, who used to be a witch like them, but let power corrupt him, and was now doomed to roam the world eternally, never knowing the touch of his true love.

And who was now making tea over a rackety old wood stove.

 He scowled at the loose tea he’d found in the tin stowed among their supplies. “Your tea is tainted with vervein,” he said. “That isn’t really a problem for me, you understand, but it does rather ruin the brew.” He didn’t wait for an answer, he knew there was no point after all. He’d taken away her ability to speak too. He crooked his finger at Joe, who was crouched by the wall, and the werewolf stood and walked over to him.

“We need tea,” Silas stated. “Preferably Earl Grey… and lots of blood, whether it comes in blood bags or body bags, I don’t care, enough to wake the sleeping beauties here from their desiccated slumber. Take the truck and that werewolf over there.” He pointed laconically at Rog, who cringed at the attention.  “Don’t ask for help, don’t tittle tattle, don’t run away. You have three hours to complete the task – go.” He threw the truck’s key at Joe and didn’t even bother to look at them as they left. His control was complete; he had no reason to doubt it. Sophie’s heart sunk a little lower as she realised Joe and the pack were probably not going to survive this.

“The Mikaelsons are going to figure it out eventually, you know,” said a new voice, and Sophie started at the sound before she realised who it was – Katherine. She remembered the last time they’d met, and how the five centuries old vampire walked through New Orleans as if she owned it. It was a revelation to see her so small and frail and… human.

It didn’t stop her running her mouth off, though.

Silas gave her an amused look. “Do you actually think the Mikaelson’s are a match for me?” he asked. “Even if they _were_ capable of trusting each other, they’d hardly be able to put up much of a fight. As it stands, all it takes is a few well planted comments from me, for them to start tearing into each other’s throats. It’s pathetic really.”

 “Then I guess it’s probably a good thing you’re not too attached to that Forbes girl, isn’t it?” Katherine drawled.  “After all, she’s the one who is probably going to get the brunt of their anger.”

Silas looked at her for a moment, and then began to laugh. “Oh my, now I see it - Katerina Petrova, the great spider with her web of informants, still hasn’t figured it out.”

Katherine rolled her eyes. “Oh please, everyone knows that he’s been trying to get into her pants; it still won’t stop him _killing_ her,” she said dismissively. “To get to Klaus, you need to be family.”

Silas just continued to chuckle, it was an eerie sound.  “Oh, my dear Katerina, for a clever woman you can be ridiculously stupid sometimes. Is that why you tried to fool him into thinking Hayley was carrying his child? Talk about writing the wolf’s death warrant. He doesn’t just want Caroline, he _loves_ her. Do you know what was the first thing he thought, when he heard about the pregnancy – what will _Caroline_ think?”

“You can’t know that,” Katherine scoffed.

“Oh, but I can,” he said. “Because I've read his _mind._ He’s going to kill the Hayley girl and then he’s going to track down Sophie and kill her, before moving onto Marcel, and lastly…?”

“Me,” Katherine finished for him softly. “He’s going to kill me.”

“And do you know why?”

A look of dread crossed her face. “Because he’s going to think it was I who sold her out to the witches."

“And eventually she get it,” Silas drawls. “You see, Klaus really isn’t that difficult to figure once you know what you’re dealing with. I’d say we’ve a few days before he tracks down Hayley – she’s a wily one – and by then, I’ll have no need of the witch and you will be permanently out of the Hybrid’s reach. Everybody wins.” He leaned forward. “But Katerina, I‘m afraid I know longer need you to speak, so be _quiet_.”

Sophie closed her eyes as she wondered what the spirits had been trying to tell her when they scrawled Caroline’s name on the window.  They wouldn’t steer her wrong, would they? There had to be something she wasn't seeing.

Or she had been right all along, after all. This really was a punishment.

~8~

 

Kol had heard humans had nightmares about this sort of thing, waking up in coffins. Fortunately, for him, his brother’s penchant for crypts made his task a little easier. He hadn’t fancied digging himself out of a grave in his present condition. The marble lid was heavy but he eventually managed to push it aside. He was weak and, while the white oak stake was gone, the wound still hadn’t properly healed. His hands and arms were shrivelled, like an old man’s, and his spine wouldn’t uncurl properly. He felt like Nosferatu, or that rather operatic creature that the crazy Irishman created.  He decided to wait until after he fed to look for a mirror.

He was in a cave – _the_ cave, Kol realised, as he noticed the carvings on the wall. He looked around and quickly discovered the other two marble caskets interred in the cave. He staggered forward and looked at the Futhark Runes engraved onto the other lids; Esther and Finn, no second name, it hadn’t been their custom.  He hadn’t realised his brother was so sentimental. Mikael was absent, of course; Klaus couldn’t resist the chance to return the snub their father had made in life. _Not one of us, boy._

He shuffled forward. Walking took effort but, if memory sufficed, he wasn’t too far from Mystic Falls, and this cave system stretched right underneath it. Hunger gnawed at him. He would try to keep his word to the witch, but if he happened to come across some tasty little thing between here and hospital’s blood bank… well, nobody could blame him for taking a _little_ sip, could they, considering his condition.

He moved forward, trying to ignore the sucking sound his unhealed wound made as he limped. At least his eyesight wasn’t affected by his weakness; he didn’t relish the thought of stumbling though this caves half blind.

After a while, the sounds of human habitation began to reach his ears; loud music, people laughing, glasses clinking - the familiar cadence of a pub. He was standing underneath the Mystic Grill.  He felt his teeth lengthening. The urge to feed rushing to the surface as his gnawing hunger roared. He almost staggered under the force of it.

To hell with the witch, a man had to eat.

It didn’t take Kol long to find an old cast iron ladder that led to what looked like newly made hatch. He smiled as he gripped a rung and pulled himself upward. He tried the hatch. It was latched but that problem was quickly solved with a quick shove. Not vampire proof, then. The hatch had been built by a human.

He found himself in a storage room and he moved towards the sound of voices.  He’d drank at the Grill enough times to know Mystic Falls had an unusually high number of daytime drinkers; the town residents had a lot to forget.

The door opened unexpectedly and Jeremy Gilbert stalked into the room. "You're dead," he said, after a moment’s shock. "Go and haunt someone else."

"Sorry, kid, wrong guess. I got better," Kol deadpanned, flashing forward and slamming him against the wall.

"What the-“ The shock leeched from  Jeremy’s eyes as the hunter took over. Kol roared as a burning pain screamed through his side – a vervein soaked stake. It couldn’t kill him but it hurt like a bitch. Kol grabbed his wrist and broke it, feeling the bones crush under his fingers. Jeremy’s face went white as he let go of the stake, and Kol pulled it out.

“That wasn’t very nice thing to do to an, old friend, ” Kol hissed as his finger’s curled around his neck.

“I don’t know why you’re alive but, I promise you, I’m sending you back!” he said.

Kol laughed humourlessly. Oh, this was just too delicious.  “Not without a white oak stake, Jeremy, something you no longer have - and it was Bonnie, by the way.”

Jeremy’s eyes narrowed. “What about Bonnie?”

“She was the one that send me back,” Kol drawled, eyeing him up and down. “I’d give you her love but, funnily enough, she never mentioned you.”

“Liar!” Jeremy said.

Kol rolled his eyes. “Idiot!” he returned. “Now hold still, I’m feeling a bit peckish.” Wrenching his head to the side, he bit down and drank deep, feeling the wound knit together and his spine unfurl.

“You can’t…kill me…hunter,” Jeremy gasped out, desperately clutching at the shelves as they slid downward.

Kol just smiled against his skin.

 

~8~

“Who the hell are they?” Caroline asked, as Rebekah bundled two blood covered prisoners into the back of one of the SUVs. The teenager smelled like a werewolf, but the older one was a hybrid – what the hell had been going on?

“That would be none of your business,” Rebekah stated. “Just get in.” She gestured at the passenger seat and Caroline wrinkled her nose.

“Uh, no thanks, I think I’ll ride in the SUV that doesn’t stink of blood soaked werewolf, thank you very much.”

Rebekah sighed. “Listen to me very carefully, Caroline, “she said. “This is me asking you nicely. If you’re not in that seat in five seconds, I shall snap your neck and put you in the boot.”

Caroline scowled but slipped into the passenger seat. She knew Rebekah well enough to know it wasn’t an idle threat.  She watched as Rebekah made her way to the other SUV and got in beside Matt, which meant-

“Strap yourself in, love,” said Klaus, as he jumped into the seat beside her. “I know a car crash won’t kill you but we may not have enough time to stop and pick you up if you accidentally go through the windscreen.”

Caroline rolled her eyes but put on her seatbelt. Pointedly, she stared out the window and ignored him as they pulled out and he heard him laugh softly.

“Giving me the silent treatment, Caroline? A bit childish, isn’t it?”

She threw him a dirty look. “Is there any point in saying anything?” she asked. “You’re just going to assume I’m lying, anyway.”

His face hardened. “What do you expect me to think, Caroline; you can’t expect me to believe Tyler’s appearance here is coincidental?”

“Oh yes, that would be too much to ask for, wouldn’t it?” Caroline sniped. “But what do I expect from the guy who’s been shacking up with a backstabbing bitch while twittering on about how I was his ‘forever’.”

“Jealous, Caroline? I thought we weren’t a thing?” He smirked at her and Caroline resisted the urge to smack it off his face. He’d probably take it as proof he’d hit his mark and she wouldn’t give him the satisfaction.

“I’m just pointing out that I never hid where my loyalty lies, Klaus. And while I may have omitted the truth, I’ve never actually lied to you. Hayley, on the other hand, pretty much has the words _traitor_ stamped on her ass.  You sleep with dogs, you wake up with fleas, is all I’m saying. “

“Still sounds like jealousy to me, love,” he said coolly.

“Think what you want, Klaus,” she said, with a shrug. “It hardly matters to me anymore.”  The car lurched forward. Surprise, surprise, it seemed Klaus was the type to take his anger out on the accelerator.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” he ground out.

“It means I’m out,” she said. “After this fiasco is over, I don’t want to see you again - no stalkery  texts, no unasked for gifts, nada. Is that clear enough for you?”

“Crystal,” he snapped. “So much for our friendship.”

“Oh, don’t you dare throw that at me!” She hissed. “Friendship is based on trust and you pretty much ground that into the dust. How many times did I call you the other day? How many times did you ignore me? If you’d only picked up the phone once, Tyler would have never thought you were behind this. I could have convinced him to stay in Mystic Falls instead of running off half cocked-“

He glared at her “Ah, so you _do_ admit it-“

“He _left_ me, okay?” she shouted, drowning him out. “He left me because he thought I was making excuses for you. He left because he thought I had feelings for that were clouding my judgement… and I guess he was right, because look at me now! I actually believed in you and yet here I am, once again a hostage in your stupid Alpha game with Tyler! And I’m sick of it, _really_ sick of it, and if I see either of you again after this, it will be too soon!”

“Oh, for Christ’s sake, would you two keep your eyes on the road?” the Hybrid in the back rumbled.  “You can have make up sex later.”

“ _Shut up!_ ” The words came out of Klaus’s mouth practically in tandem with hers, and they looked at each other warily. Silence fell in the SUV once more and Caroline closed her eyes, hoping that he’d let her pretend sleep. Once they got to the house, she’d start planning her escape. Luckily, all the vervein in her system meant she was safe from compulsion for at least another couple of days. She didn’t think he’d lock her up, although he might try sticking a minion on her.

She guessed she’d know soon enough.


	15. First move advantage

Jeremy awoke to the iron taste of blood in his mouth. For a brief moment, his mind wandered back to that time, not so long ago, when he fed himself Anna's blood. So much had changed since then. The ground rumbled beneath him and he opened his eyes to pitch blackness. Disorientated, it took him a moment to realise he was in a car trunk.

Panic flooded through him but he beat it back as he felt for his phone in his back pocket, his fingers curled around it and he felt a moment of triumph. The next part wouldn't be so easy, though. Kol would know what he was doing the moment he heard the ring, it would have to be a text. He paused as he tried to think of what to say: help, I'm stuck in a trunk, wasn't exactly helpful to a would be rescuer. He decided to go with the most important part first.

Kol is back. Kidnapped me. In a car trunk. Said he was sent by Bonnie. Help.

He pressed the send button and winced as the cellphone made a little electronic beep. The car came to screeching halt, and Jeremy let out a gasp of pain as his face smashed into the wrong end of the back seat. Damned vampire hearing.

The trunk was wrenched open and Jeremy squinted against the light as Kol loomed over him. "Hand it over, Gilbert, or I'll make you regret the fact I'm letting you live," he said.

Jeremy snorted. "Please, as if you would risk going even crazier than you already are," he said. Kol smirked and snapped his fingers in front of his face. Jeremy flinched on reflex and then kicked himself. Kol was not the sort of guy you showed your soft underbelly to.

"Phone," Kol said, and Jeremy reluctantly handed it over, watching as the vampire scrolled through his texts. "Out," he eventually said, crushing the phone between his fingers and dropping it onto the road.

"Where are we?" Jeremy asked, as he pulled himself out and looked around. They were in a wooded, elevated area and all he could see, as far as the horizon, was trees and mountains.

"Far from civilisation," Kol said. "It'll take you at least two days to walk out of here and by then it'll all be over." He threw him a backpack with a bedroll, and Jeremy scowled down at it. Something was definitely up, Kol was being way too nice. By this stage, he'd expected to have both of his arms ripped off.

"I'm guessing you're not actually talking about a boyscout's camping trip," he said dryly. "What does Bonnie have to do with this?" he added, looking at Kol coolly.

Kol just smirked that big annoying smirk of his. "Big things are afoot, little Gilbert," he said. "And I intend to avail of the opportunity. Luckily for you, I need to keep the Bennet witch sweet for that to happen. In a few days, however, all bets are off. I'd suggest sleeping with the lights on." With a mocking salute, Kol got back into his car and kicked up dirt as he sped away.

Big things? Jeremy frowned after the disappearing car as he tried to envisage what that could mean - only one thing came to mind. The veil was coming down again.

Bonnie, he thought, and broke into a jog. Whatever it was, it was happening in two days. He needed to get back to Mystic Falls before then.

~8~

Blood trickled into his mouth, coating the desiccated roof of his mouth, and Stefan swallowed, ignoring the stinging pain as the muscles in his throat screamed in protest. More blood followed and he eagerly swallowed it down, ignoring the impulse to gag under the heavy flow. A low chuckle reached his ears.

"That's it, my shadow self, drink it all down. You're going to need all your strength for the sacrifice."

Silas.

He reached up, gripping onto the hands that fed him the blood bag but Silas's laughter just deepened as he pried Stefan's fingers away with ease.

"I wouldn't bother, little one," he said. "I've been eating well while you've been sleeping in your watery grave. The miniscule chance you had before of defeating me has now become nonexistent."

Stefan didn't even bother to reply as he tried to open his eyes. Light pierced his senses, and he bit back a cry of pain as his eyes protested the invasion of the sun. At last, Silas's face swam into view, his expression smooth and sleek, like a reptile. He wondered how long it had been since he'd felt anything approaching a human emotion.

"How long," he eventually croaked.

"Nine weeks," he said. "Not so long, relatively speaking. Trust me, you don't know what true thirst is until you've been trapped in your own mind for at least three millennia." He leaned in, capturing his eyes, and Stefan felt the leaden weight of compulsion grip his mind. "You're not going to attempt an escape from this cabin, you're not going to attempt to communicate with anyone outside this room, you will be compliant to all my wishes," he said, patting Stefan on the cheek before adding. "There's a good boy, you can sit up now."

The compulsion took his suggestion as an order and he gritted his teeth, trying to ignore the pain, as he sat upright in the coffin. The first thing he noticed was Elena – no, Katherine. And there was something different about her, something almost… fragile.

"Still trying to get the upper hand, I see," Stefan said aloud. His eyes darted around the room, noting the stiff presence of Abby Bennet, still and silent, as well as another woman he didn't recognise.

Katherine threw him a cool look but didn't answer.

Stefan snorted. "Cat got your tongue, Katherine?" he asked.

Silas laughed. "No, actually, I think you'll find that was me," he said. "You may speak, Katerina. After all, who am I to get in the way of this touching reunion? You have so much news to catch up on."

Her lip curled up in contempt as she glared at Silas. "If you're looking for entertainment, there's this new invention called the internet. There's always a warm welcome there for trolls," she sneered.

"Tut, tut, such a sharp tongue," Silas said, glancing at Stefan. "I'm sure you can see why I've kept it on a leash. I'd hate to have to kill her before she'd outlived her usefulness."

"And what use would that be?" Stefan asked. "Another tired scheme to hoodwink an Original?"

Silas laughed. "Not exactly," he laughed. "You see, Katerina here got into a little spat with your sweet innocent little Elena and got a dose of her own medicine – literally. May I introduce to you the newly reminted human, Katerina Petrova." Stefan froze, searching Katherine's face for the lie; she gave him a sour smile.

"Did you really think she'd take it herself?" she asked. "You know how it goes. For the first week, you may mourn your humanity, it might even stretch to a month; but then the taste of power and freedom becomes too sweet to ignore. In the end, Elena is no different from anyone else."

"I see," Stefan eventually said, turning to Silas. "So you've lost the cure and you've brought Katherine here to get your pound of flesh?"

Silas shrugged. "Not so much lost, as temporarily lost custody of," he said. "But don't worry, in a few days that little problem will be rectified… well, when I say don't worry, I mean you really won't need to worry, because you'll be dead. Such are the vagaries of ritual sacrifice, it can't be helped – nothing personal."

"Right… nothing personal," Stefan said flatly. He saw Katherine's eyebrow rise in the corner of his eye, and he wondered how so much could be said with such a tiny gesture. The lines were redrawn once again, and he and Katherine were in agreement: Silas needed to be put down.

~8~

She was angry, she was practically shaking with the intensity of it. Klaus hadn't seen this much rage in Caroline's eyes since he'd killed Carol Lockwood. To say he was bitter about the situation was putting it lightly, and the situation wasn't improved by the fact that the wolf in him was more than a little turned on.

She pushed past him as he opened the door and flounced into the house like she owned it, her hips swaying in a way that revved his libido into full alert. Damn her, why did she always affect him this way? He was a thousand years old. He had slept with literally hundreds of beautiful women. Women more cultured and experienced in the arts of the bedroom than an eighteen year old vampire could ever aspire to be. The girl led him around by the nose as if he were a callow youth, and he let her.

"Caroline, don't stray from my line of sight," he growled after her. She replied with a contemptuous flick of her hair.

Rebecca stalked into the room, the Hybrid and the werewolf boy on her heels, carrying her luggage. "Second door on the left," she dictated, pointing to the stairs. Matt took up the rear, a wry look on his face, at odds with his true age. He was a strange one, that boy. He turned to look back at Caroline, only to realise she'd done exactly what he'd asked her not to do; she wandered out of sight.

"Caroline," he snarled, following her scent into his study. She had already located his drinks cabinet and was helping herself, ignoring the bourbons as she went straight for the vodka. He knew Caroline well enough to know she usually subverted her blood thirst with junk food; alcohol was only required for those especially stressful situations. Situations that usually involved him, he thought ruefully.

"What is it you want, Klaus?" she snapped. "Any more threats you want to get off your chest?"

"Don't be like that, love," he said coolly. "My suspicions are well founded, after all."

"Firstly, do not call me love, secondly, I'll act any damned way I please," she retorted as she ignored the mixers and poured the neat vodka into a tumbler. "I know you like to pretend otherwise, but I'm not yours, I never have been. When will you get that through your thick, delusional hybrid skull?

His temper flared and, before he thought better of his actions, he was across the room, knocking the glass from her hand before she raised it to her lips. It smashed against the wall, splattering the silk wallpaper, and Caroline rolled her eyes.

"Is this a hybrid thing?" she asked coolly. "Because I wasn't impressed when Tyler did it, and I'm even less impressed now, especially as this time it was my drink."

Klaus scowled. "I am nothing like that pup," he said.

"Whatever you say," she drawled, turning away as she reached for another glass.

Once again, impulse overrode reason, and he pulled her back, his mouth claiming hers, forcing her lips to part. He remembered the last time he'd kissed her like this, when he was in Tyler's body and she was soft and pliable and willing, and he pushed her up against the hard mahogany of the cabinet, his hands tangling in her soft hair as he plundered her mouth, tasting her. For the briefest of moments, he felt her relax against him, her hands splaying against his chest as her tongue slid against his, causing him to shiver - but, before he could take advantage of the situation, she stiffened again. She pushed, forcing him to stumble back, and she glared at him, rubbing her mouth with the back of her hand.

"Let's get one thing straight," Caroline spat out, her eyes like splinters of ice, "That will never, ever happen again. I don't do sloppy seconds."

He sneered. "That not what I heard, love. Perhaps we should ask Matt about that?" The slap was expected but worth it and, for the second time that day, Klaus watched her walk away from him.

It was beginning to become their thing.


	16. Fortress

Hayley was screaming again, the two feet thick cellar walls were no match for hybrid hearing. Tyler shut his eyes and tried to shut it out but it didn't work.

"How long is this going to go on for?" Marcel asked laconically, raising his head from his meal's throat. Tyler shrugged, as he tried to ignore the tantalising scent of fresh blood from a beating heart.

"Not long," he said. "She should be free of the sire bond by dawn."

"Good," he said. "All that incessant screeching is getting on my nerves." He gestured at a dozing human on the couch. "Perhaps you should bring her something to eat. It may hurry the process along."

"Blood bags would be preferable," Tyler said, "The blood lust can get a bit out of control when a hybrid is first turned. "

Marcel smirked. "Oh, I wouldn't worry about that, my man," he said. "We have excellent cleaners and besides, I got the definite impression earlier that our little Hayley prefers her meals straight from the vein.

Tyler winced at the memory. He had caught Hayley out in an alley behind the bar, helping herself to one of the human customers and had to pull her off. It was too late for the co-ed, unfortunately. She was dead before she hit the ground.

"What's your problem?" Hayley had demanded.

"Seriously, Hayley, you've just killed that girl!"

Hayley had just shrugged. "So? I needed to eat."

The evening had gone downhill from there and Tyler had been almost been relieved when Marcel had suggested that they stay at his Garden District house. His relief was short lived, however, as it quickly became clear Marcel was running some sort of operation that night. Tyler's hearing, sharper than Marcel realised, had caught Klaus's name come up more than once, despite the low voices.

Marcel smirked, as if he knew what he was thinking. He leaned back in his armchair, taking his meal with him and the girl whimpered but didn't voice a protest as he gripped her hair, baring her vulnerable, bloodied throat. Tyler felt the veins around his eyes contract, a sure sign they were turning black.

"Oh, how remiss of me," Marcel drawled. "I was so worried for your dear Hayley's welfare, that I completely neglected to take care of yours. Help yourself." Tyler eyed the dozing girl on the couch. He hadn't had blood since he'd left Mystic Falls and the small supply he'd brought with him was in a chilled case in the back of a rental about four miles outside the city limits - along with the rest of his pack. Marcel may have allowed the presence of a hybrid in his town but he suspected it was a face saving exercise. If he'd forbade Tyler to enter the city limits then everyone would conclude that Marcel let Klaus stay out of fear, and not because he had 'enough vamp in him to balance it out.'

"Let me guess, you don't feed from the vein," Marcel said, with a smooth voice and sharp eyes.

Tyler shrugged noncommittally. Truth be told, that wasn't strictly true. Life on the run didn't exactly make for fussy eating. He'd fallen back into the habit of blood bags since returning to Mystic Falls, mostly because of Caroline, but needs must. He couldn't afford to be weak at the moment. He got to his feet and crossed the room, sitting on the couch beside the girl.

"This won't hurt," he said, compelling her, before biting into her arterial vein. A small sound escaped the back of her throat and he fed deeply, only stopping when her breathing became thready. He lifted his head, biting his wrist and offering it to her but she turned her head away.

"We don't allow the food to be healed with blood," Marcel drawled. "The last thing we need is an accidental turning."

Tyler could help but wonder what other rules Marcel had, but his thoughts were distracted by the slam of doors downstairs; a moment later, a vampire blurred into the room.

"They're gone," the vampire said. "I don't know how they did it. We had the house covered from every side."

"Marcel made a disgusted sound. "Tunnels," he said. "Klaus probably had them built into the foundations. Never mind, it shouldn't be too hard to track him down. The Mikaelsons were never known for their discreet lifestyle. Try the flashier neighbourhoods; we'll make a sighting sooner or later - anything else?"

"Uh, yes, we think we have the location for the witch," the vampire said.

Marcel's eyes glinted. "Is that so? Well, why didn't you say so sooner!" He jumped to his feet, a wide smile on his face that promised no good. "Time to remind Miss Devereaux about our rules." Marcel turned his smile upon Tyler. "Come on, kid, let me show you how it's done!"

Slowly, Tyler stood, wishing he could think of a polite way of turning him down but failing miserably. Hayley's screams redoubled, reminding him of what was at stake, the life of his pack. He needed Marcel's help to put down Klaus. Maybe then he could get his life back and even patch up things with Caroline.

"Marcel eyed him. "Relax, my man," he said. "Your little wolf friend will be in good hands. Let your hair down a little, it'll be fun."

Marcel's hand fell onto his shoulder and squeezed, a fair approximation of a friendly gesture, but Tyler wasn't fooled. He knew that the witch wasn't the only one Marcel wanted to teach a lesson to tonight. He also wanted to demonstrate what happened to traitors.

~8~

"My sources has told me Marcel has left his house, and took that Lockwood boy with him. He did not look happy."

"Marcel or the boy?"

"Both, now that I come to think of it. The point is, it was only him, Lockwood, and three other vampires in that SUV. This may be our chance."

Caroline slumped back onto the bed as she eavesdropped on the conversation going on downstairs. Elijah didn't sound happy and she knew how he felt. She knew that probably the worst thing she could possibly do right now was sulk. She should be trying to schmooze Klaus into seeing things her way but she was just too damned angry. She couldn't believe the asshole had to audacity to try and kiss her. As if that was ever going to happen.

Tears filled her eyes and she blinked them back furiously. One of the few things she really hated about being a vampire was the rollercoaster her emotions took her on. Sure, if she were honest with herself, she had occasionally allowed herself to think of what might happen, but that had been before she found out how he'd been playing her for a fool. He and Hayley probably had a good laugh about her while they lay in bed together. Caroline Forbes, the cheerleading queen and dumb blonde who actually allowed herself to believe those cheesy lines he fed her.

He couldn't be trusted, plain and simple, and Tyler was a lying asshole as well, apparently. It seemed the only guy she knew who always played it straight with her was Stefan and he'd given up his freedom for hers. Her eyes filled again and she let out a snort of impatience. Sitting around and crying wasn't going to help anyone. She needed information, information Klaus wasn't willing to share with her.

So maybe she should look a little closer to the source? She may not be in the mood to schmooze Klaus, but there was always Tyler. She felt a tinge of guilt about thinking of Tyler in that way but he was the one that decided he couldn't trust her and then ran to Hayley, a girl who betrayed them both. She steeled herself and took out her phone. She'd known Tyler all her life. She knew exactly how to push his buttons. She began to text.

**"Why ru with Marcel?"**

The reply was almost instantaneous **"Why ru with Klaus?"**

**"Don't have a choice."**

**"Neither do I."**

Caroline quirked an eyebrow at that, it was time to start digging. **"And Hayley – no choice there?"**

_"We have to stop Klaus."_

Caroline scowled at the screen – seriously? Didn't the idiot realise that the only one still in that fight was him? **"It wasn't Klaus who came after us. It was Hayley - ru you going to stop her?"**

There was a long pause before he answered. " **It's complicated.** "

It's complicated? What was this, a Facebook relationship update? She resisted the urge to crumple the phone between her fingers. She still needed information. **"Where ru?"**

This time, it took him even longer to reply. " **Y do u want to know? Did Klaus ask u to ask?** "

Caroline felt something stop in his throat. The very fact he'd asked that spoke volumes. A few moments later, another message popped up.

**"Sry. didn't mean it like that."**

She didn't believe him. He meant it exactly like that. She wasn't exactly sure how it had happened but something between them had broken since he'd come back. Although, if she were honest with herself, the signs had been there before; like that time he'd locked her in a cellar just for daring to say his plan was terrible.

Caroline pursed her lips as another message popped up on her screen. "Something's come up. Gotta go."

For what seemed like an age, Caroline sat on the bed, her mind trying to cling to the changing landscape. Her options were limited and Tyler was an idiot - but he didn't deserve to die. A thought occurred to her, strategy was never Tyler's strong suit, and neither was subtlety. He never thought about the little details, never looked for a more viable alternative.

That's why Hayley had found him so easy to manipulate, she handed him a simple plan to execute and, in Tyler's mind, simple meant good; it never occurred to him that it was too good to be true. He never even looked for the pitfalls, never saw the trap. Caroline wondered how Hayley convinced him to not tell her about the plan to kill Klaus until the last available minute. She pulled a face; it was probably best she didn't know.

When Tyler came back to Mystic Falls, one of the first things she did was upload the GPS app Bonnie had put onto their phones the year before onto his new phone. It wasn't that she didn't trust Klaus and, to be honest, she knew that if Klaus took Tyler, he wouldn't be so stupid as let him keep his phone… but she did it anyway, just in case.

But she still couldn't quite believe it as she turned on the app on her phone and saw the little green dot blinking on her screen. "You idiot, Tyler," she muttered under her breath before speeding downstairs and flinging open the study doors.

Klaus glowered at her, his face a study in hurt feelings. "What's the matter love, came to finish our conversation from earlier?" he taunted.

Caroline ignored him and turned to Elijah, who quirked an eyebrow at her. "Miss Forbes?"

"Elena says you can be trusted," Caroline said sharply. "But from what I've seen you're only been trustworthy if works out in your favour."

"You point?" Elijah asked.

"My point is Tyler is an idiot but he doesn't deserve to die because of it."

"That's a matter of opinion," Klaus muttered.

"Well I guess it's a good thing I wasn't asking for you," Caroline said coldly. "But I'm willing to strike a deal with you, Elijah. Tyler's life in exchange for Marcel's location."

Elijah's pretence at mild amusement slipped from his face. "If you can truly deliver his location, you have a promise. I will make one stipulation, however. Tyler must agree to never conspire against my family again. If he does, our agreement is nullified – and Hayley is ours, to do with as we please."

"Tyler may take some convincing- " She ignored Klaus's snort. "But you can keep the backstabbing werebitch; I agree to your terms – as long as you bring me along," she said firmly. If Tyler still decided to go after Klaus after all this, then it really was on his head. She'd done all she could do.

"Agreed," Elijah said. "His location?"

Caroline smirked, holding aloft her phone so he could see the screen. "Longitude and latitude," she said cheerily.

Elijah graced her with a sly smile. "Indeed."

Her phone was snatched out of her hand and she turned to glower at Klaus. "Hey, that's mine!"

"Indulge my curiosity," he said flatly, and Caroline curled her nails inward, fury and impotence raging as she scanned her texts.

"What's the matter, Klaus?" she snapped. "Looking for the non-existent proof of my complicity? Sorry to disappoint you – now give it back!"

Something flickered in his eyes, but he smiled that insincere smile he used when he was about to say something nasty. "Sorry, love, I think I'll hold onto this until after we find Marcel. You might suffer from a last minute change of heart."

This time, it was Caroline who snorted. "Oh please! You're just being petty."

"A fair cop," he said, smirking as he pocketed the phone. He gestured at the door. "After you, my dear."

"No thanks," Caroline said, crossing her arms. "You might try to stab me in the back again."

Elijah sighed. "Then I shall go first, shall I?" he said archly. "And perhaps you two could try a little more to resolve your differences."

"No need," Caroline said abruptly. "After we take care of this, you'll no longer have a reason to keep me here and I'll never have to see any of you ever again. End of problem. " Caroline could practically feel Klaus's rage emanating off him in waves but she ignored him. Never let it be said she didn't know how to move on. She smiled brightly at Elijah.

"Lead on," she said.

And with a slight tip of the head, Elijah strode out of the room and, Klaus stalkng after him. Caroline took another deep breath as she tried to calm her nerves before she followed them both. She could do this, she could, and Klaus Mikaelson could go jump in an Artic lake.


	17. Clearing the Board

**Hello everyone! First of all, a big thank you to all the lovely people who took the time to review the last chapter! To be honest, I was thinking of giving up on this story a couple of chapters back because of my disenchantment with the spin off spoilers, but a few tumblr readers convinced me otherwise and your feedback ket my spirits up!**

**As you all have probably figured out by now, I don’t usually do author’s notes on ff.net, but I felt I should give you a heads up, this chapter is quite dark. Reader beware.**

* * *

They had nearly reached the outer limits of the city when Tyler noticed the two SUVs that had pulled in behind them. He arched a brow at Marcel. "Yours?"

Marcel laughed. "One thing I've learned over the last century, is that I should never underestimate a pissed off witch. The effectiveness of my little secret weapon diminishes somewhat once we leave the city limits, which may make our little rebel a bit more rebellious. She may have convinced her coven to follow her and I've always found that numbers work better in that sort of situation… she can't give us _all_ an aneurism."

Tyler slumped back into his seat, his phone burning a hole in his pocket. Caroline had not texted him back after his belated apology and the guilt was beginning to eat away at him - because she was _right._ It had been Hayley who'd instigated this problem by taking Katherine and Hayley who'd put Caroline in harm's way by spilling her name to Marcel and, once again, he'd fallen for her moves.

They left the highway a few miles out of New Orleans and turned onto a narrow blacktop road. The headlights of the cars were the only artificial light Tyler could see and trees crowded the edges of the road, their gnarled branches almost meeting above them and blocking out the moonlight. The heavy musky scent of swampland filled Tyler's senses.

"How did you find this place?" Tyler wondered aloud.

Marcel laughed. "One of Sophie's employees stocked up on a rather large supply of blood earlier," he said. "Needless to say, the incident was reported and one of my guys tailed him." Tyler frowned, it seemed a rather careless thing for a witch in hiding to do but what did he know? The lights in the SUV behind them dimmed twice and Marcel pulled onto the side of the road.

"Why are we stopping?" Tyler asked.

"The cabin is about a hundred yards beyond the brush line," Marcel said. "And it's owned by a werewolf. Their senses are not as good as ours, but there's no need to take any unnecessary chances. We walk from here on in. "

The vampires spread out in a loose line and then melted into the trees and Marcel grinned down at him. "Come along, my man, time to get your hands dirty."

Tyler followed him into the brush, his senses reaching out to pick up the faint signs of animal life that had fallen silent once they felt the presence of vampires in their midst. He resisted the urge to roll his eyes. If the cabin owner was a werewolf, as Marcel said, this would give them away more surely than the sound of a car engine. There were not many things a Louisiana swamp would go silent for.

The cabin came into view and Tyler started counting heartbeats. Two humans and the low beat of three vampires inside the cabin… and eleven werewolves, their hearts thrumming like canaries in a cage, standing outside on high alert.

Tyler exchanged a look with Marcel. The witch obviously knew they were there, so where was she? Marcel threw him a lopsided grin and then sped forward, reaching the first werewolf in a moment. With a snap of the neck, Marcel ended his life, and then laughed into the night.

"Come out, come out, wherever you are," he sang as the wolves crouched defensively, ready to pounce. Tyler wondered why they hadn't run. Hadn't they figured out they were outmanoeuvred? Standing their ground was suicide. "Come on Sophie," Marcel said. "Don't make me work for this. You know I'll only make you pay for it."

The cabin door creaked open and a young woman came into view, standing just behind the threshold line. Fear was etched onto every feature on her face and Marcel's eyes lit up at the sight of it. The hairs on the back of Tyler's neck rose as he sensed something was off. Witches may feel fear but they never showed it, not to a vampire.

"Sophie, my dear," Marcel purred. "You've been a very naughty girl. Come here and I might not kill everyone you love; I'll just kill you."

Tyler studied her. She didn't move, she didn't speak; she just stood there, her eyes filling up with unshed tears. "Shit," he said. "She's been compelled."

Marcel's head swerved around to stare at him and it was then that Tyler noticed the blurring vampire swooping down on them from the brush, moving impossiblly fast. For a moment, Tyler thought it _had_ to be an Original, but then Stefan was standing in front of him, a chilling expression on his face.

 _"Kill Marcel's vampires, rip them apart_ " Stefan uttered and Tyler staggered under the weight of the compulsion before bloodlust flared through him like a brushfire.

He didn't remember much after that, just the blood; screams of rage and terror filled the air, and Stefan stood in the middle of it, like a terrifyingly impassive ringmaster, watching the carnage. The nightmare only lasted a few minutes, but it felt like hours. At last, however, the killing ended, and Stefan and he were the only ones left standing.

"Marcel got away," Stefan said as he sauntered up to him. "But you managed to bite him pretty badly. He probably won't make it out of the woods alive." Tyler tore his eyes away to look at the bodies scattered on grass. He hadn't killed them all. The werewolves got a few before they were decimated, and Stefan had also compelled a few of the other Vampires. He glanced at the cabin. The witch was still standing there, utterly still and silent, a look of pain and rage on her face.

He turned to Stefan, his mind still trying to grasp what had just happened. "I don't understand," he said.

Stefan looked into his eyes. " _Don't move_." Once more, Tyler felt the full weight of compulsion fall on him and he stiffened. "I wish I didn't have to do this," Stefan said. "Really, I do. I'm rather fond of Caroline and for some strange reason she's rather fond of you."

It was then that it clicked. "You're Silas," Tyler said.

Silas smirked. "Congratulations, you've eventually figured it out… which is why I can't let you go. The events of the next few days are going to be rather delicate and I can't afford any more interference from Mystic Fall's Scooby Doo gang."

Pain slashed through him, and Tyler felt his legs trying to buckle underneath him, fighting against the constraints of the compulsion. He looked down as blood filled the back of his throat. Silas's hand was in his chest, gripping his heart.

"You can compel me to forget," he got out.

Silas sighed. "Yes, that did occur to me, but once they discounted the interference of the Originals, they'd come to the correct conclusion a little too quickly for my tastes…sorry."

He said it softly, as if he meant it, and death came with a wrench of hand, breaking the restraints of the compulsion, and he crumpled onto the brush grass and he felt the grey chill wash over him.

The last thing he saw was the Louisiana night sky.

~8~

Klaus wondered when his life had become one of those irritatingly preachy teen dramas. How had a one night stand so effectively torn through his life?

It was sort of bleakly amusing that a single act of dominance had in effect spiralled his life out of control. Not only had he allowed himself to manipulated by the witches, but he had found himself in vulnerable position in a city that no was longer his. Top that off with the humiliation of finding out that the pregnancy had all been a ruse – and yes, he _did_ see Katherine's hand in that – and that the whole debacle had ruined the delicate trust between him and Caroline, and it was fair to say the last few months had been a much needed reminder that control was an ephemeral thing.

The car was silent, Elijah was lost in his own thoughts, only speaking when Tyler's location stopped shifting, Rebekah was texting on her phone and Caroline was still giving him the silent treatment. All in all, it was shaping up to be a _delightful_ drive.

The headlights flashed on a face in the middle of the road, and instinct made him swerve on the narrow, country road, his feet slamming on the brake. The SUV came to an abrupt halt.

"That was Marcel," Rebekah said, and she and Elijah flashed out of the car.

Klaus glanced at Caroline, taking in her stubborn expression and simmering anger. "Stay here," he said, not trusting himself to say more.

Caroline snorted as she looked away from him and glared out the passenger window. As that was probably the best approximation of assent he was going to get from her at the moment, he took it.

He followed Rebekah's voice into the brush and smirked as he discovered she and Elijah had caught Marcel, and had pinned him to a tree with a branch. A quick look at the wound told him they'd missed his heart by an inch.

"Does it hurt?" Elijah asked lightly. "Tell us where Tyler and Hayley are."

"And what you know about the location of the witches," Rebekah added. Elijah threw her an enquiring look and Rebekah snorted. "What? I'm a bit worried about Stefan. You didn't think I was asking because of Katherine, did you?"

"Christ, don't you guys get it? We don't have time for this. That thing might still be chasing me," Marcel said hoarsely.

As one, Elijah and Rebekah looked at Klaus, he smiled coldly. "What thing?" he prompted.

"That thing in the cabin. I don't know what it was. At first I thought it was a vampire, but it was too fast, too _strong_ , and the werewolves were everywhere, just attacking, and it didn't matter that they were getting slaughtered, they just kept coming. And that thing – that _thing_ –compelled my men to turn on themselves and it _got_ to the hybrid.

It was then that Klaus smelled it; reaching forward, he pulled the collar down on his shirt. "Oh, that's quite a nasty bite, mate," he said, with mock concern. "You should have that looked at. Where's the hybrid now?"

"How the hell should I know? Do you think I stuck around to find out?"

Klaus tutted, tossing an amused look at Elijah, who smirked. "Marcel, my man, you do remember that my blood is the only cure to a werewolf bite, right? How about you cut the dramatics and tell us what we want to-" A car engine in the distance caught their attention and, in that split moment, Klaus remembered that he'd left the keys in the ignition. She wouldn't have, would she?

Oh yes she would.

Cursing under his breath, he sped to the road, catching the tail lights as they faded from sight. One of these days that infuriating girl would be the death of him.

"She'll still be looking for Tyler," Elijah said, as he appeared the road, his hand a vice on Marcel's arm. He held aloft Caroline's phone.

"Good, let's go before that stuck up bitch sells us out to Tyler and Hayley."

"Shut up, Rebekah," Klaus said automatically. He couldn't explain it, but he had a very bad feeling about this. He turned to Elijah. "Bring him back to the house. I'll deal with him when I get back." He turned to Rebekah who glared at him before he could speak.

"I'm going with you," she said. "It wouldn't be the first time she led you into a trap."

"Marcel let out a low laugh. "You guys really are clueless," he said. "The boy may be soft on the baby vampire but there is no love lost between her and Hayley. Do you know the she actually tried to spin me a line about you being in love with her? She actually tried to convince me to use her as leverage."

"Fancy that," Rebekah said sarcastically. "Imagine someone being that stupid."

"Are you coming or not," Klaus snarled.

With a knowing smirk, Rebekah blurred into the night and Klaus gave chase. It was only a matter of moments before they found the small cavalcade of SUVs, his own amongst them. Silently, he gestured at Rebekah to follow him into the trees and they were only a few steps into the brush before they smelt the overwhelming stench of blood. Klaus let his senses extend but he could only pick up one heartbeat, a vampire's heartbeat - Caroline.

Some part of him already knew what he'd find when he stepped into the clearing, but he still wasn't prepared. He was used to battlefields, he'd been the instigator of more than a few, but it was the sight of Caroline silently cradling Tyler's body that made him hesitate. His first instinct was to try and comfort her, put his arms around her and try to hold her, but he knew he wouldn't be welcome. He glanced at Rebekah and, like so many other times, she knew what he wanted.

"Check out the cabin," she said. "I'll take care of her."

He stalked towards the cabin, his eyes still on Caroline. She didn't look at him, her eyes just seemed to look sightlessly into the distance. Shock, his mind told him. He quietly stepped into the cabin. The owner had obviously died in the skirmish as there was no longer a threshold. His nose picked up various scents; he recognised Stefan's, Katherine's and the witch's… and even the scent of Abby Bennet, _that_ was strange. There was another scent too, a vampire. It seemed strangely familiar but he couldn't put his finger on it. Other than that, there was nothing, just a few empty bloodbags and a cooling teapot of Earl Grey on the stove.

He stepped outside again, and felt something in his heart clench as he found Caroline crying into Rebekah's shoulder. He caught his sister's eye and she nodded grimly. She was all in.

This was war.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I thought long and hard about killing Tyler, as I sometimes feel that killing a character off can be a bit of a cop out, but it felt right at this stage of the story, in terms of plot and in terms of Caroline’s character development. Things are going to get a bit darker over the next few chapters, you have been warned.


	18. Connected Rooks

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: I know, I know, I'm a terrible fanfic writer. To be honest, I was a bit afraid of writing this chapter and even scrapped a few versions before settling. This chapter is a bit different to previous ones because it's solely from Caroline's POV but, considering the events of the previous chapter, I thought I might get away with it. I hope you enjoy the chapter.

Tyler was dead.

The thought burned deep in Caroline's chest as she stared sightlessly out of the window. New Orleans blurred by, and she could hear Rebekah stir restlessly in her seat and the protesting creak of the steering wheel as Klaus took his frustrations out on it, but she daren't turn around. Both of them were too good at reading faces.

For a moment, as she held Tyler's body in that clearing, she thought about turning it all off, about what a relief it would be not to _feel_ anything anymore, but then she remembered Elena's aimless spitefulness, how she'd lost hold of the things that were truly important, and Caroline couldn't afford to risk that. Sometimes pain makes you stronger and gave you a purpose.

First she'd kill Marcel and then she'd kill Hayley but not before she squeezed every little piece of information out of them first. Whoever had killed Tyler would _pay_.

The SUV juddered to a halt and, hearing the breath Klaus took, Caroline had the door open before he could speak. She blurred into the house, reaching the relative safety of the guestroom before Klaus footsteps sounded below. She didn't know what would be worse, another argument or him trying his hand at sympathy - she didn't plan on finding out.

" _What happened_?" she heard Matt say, and her heart clenched. Matt and Tyler had known each other since they were toddlers. She reached for door, but then hesitated as she heard Rebekah murmur softly.

" _Matt, I…I have some bad news_."

Slowly, she turned away from the door. She thought about calling Elena, but then realised Klaus still had her cell. She eyed the landline phone on the bed stand but something told her that if she called Elena she might start crying, and she couldn't afford to cry right now.

Low muttering on the stairwell told her Rebekah and Matt were climbing the steps and she blurred across the room, turning the key in the lock. She knew Rebekah could have the door in splinters within seconds if she wanted to, but Caroline hoped they would both take the hint. The door handle shook, and Caroline heard a sigh that she recognised as Matt's.

"Care?" he said. "I know you're in there and…I know you probably just want to be left alone right now. But if you need someone to talk to, I'm just down the hall. It doesn't matter what time it is." She heard a snort that she recognised as Rebekah's but then she surprised Caroline when she spoke.

"He means it…and I promise not to take off your head if you knock. A one night exemption."

Caroline raised an eyebrow. That was new, she must actually have for feelings for Matt. She kept her lips pressed together all the same. If she spoke, Matt might try cajoling her into opening the door and, while Matt wasn't as good at reading faces as Klaus and Rebekah, he knew _her_ very well _._ Surprise was the only thing she had going for her plan in a house populated with Originals and she wasn't about to give it up. She needed them to think she was too paralysed with grief to leave the room.

Eventually, she heard Matt step away from the door and hear Rebekah murmur something softly to him as they continued down the hall. She didn't tune into the words. She may not give a damn about Rebekah but Matt deserved his privacy.

Caroline sat on the edge of bed and settled in for the wait. The screams began about ten minutes later, too muted for human ears, but not for hers. The cellar of this house wasn't as well insulated as the last… well, it was only their backup luxurious mansion, after all, what else did she expect?

She flopped back onto the mattress and stared at the ceiling as she waited for Klaus to tire of torturing Marcel. She suspected it might be a while. She closed her eyes, telling herself it was only for a moment, but exhaustion swept her away.

~8~

She woke up in a cold sweat, her nightmares chasing her out of her sleep. Wildly, she looked around, searching for the time, and her eyes fell on the clock on the mantelpiece. It was 3 am. As quietly as she could, she slipped off the bed and tiptoed to the door, extending her senses. The screaming had stopped and she couldn't hear anyone speaking. The house had fallen silent.

She gently turned the knob and opened the door a sliver, slipping her flats off her feet before she peeped out. The coast was clear. Caroline stepped out into corridor in her bare feet and slowly made her way down the stairs, feeling out each step for creaks before she stood on it. She knew better than to underestimate a hybrid's hearing. Once she reached the relative safety of the ground floor, she made her way to the basement door and tested the door knob, grinning as she found it unlocked.

And that was when her luck ran out.

The hall suddenly filled with light and, hiding her grimace, she slowly turned to see Klaus standing in the doorway of his study, a glass of bourbon in his hand.

"Going somewhere?" he asked.

"I was just-"

"Save it, Caroline, I think we both know you weren't about to blow him a goodnight kiss."

Caroline let her shoulders slump. "How did you know?"

"That you'd try to squeeze some information out of him while we weren't looking or that you were going to kill him?" he drawled as he prowled into the hallway, a knowing look on his face. "I told you before, love, you and are alike. I knew you were plotting something the moment you went silent in the car and I have first-hand knowledge of how easily you kill when a friend's life is at stake. I figured that, given enough incentive, you'd be a dab hand at avenging a friend too." His hand reached out, pushing a strand of her hair behind her ear, and Caroline shivered, despite herself. "Nothing to be ashamed of, love," he said softly. "Just doing what's in your nature."

And, just like that, Caroline was brought crashing back down to earth. "I'm not in the mood for mind games, Klaus," she said stiffly. "Did he say anything worth knowing?"

Klaus smiled, raising his tumbler. "Drink?"

Caroline sighed. "Fine," she said, giving in. He strolled back into his study, leaving the door open for her, and a part of her revolted at the sheer arrogance of the man. What if she'd made a bolt for the basement the moment his back was turned? Rolling her eyes, she followed him and watched as he made her a vodka and orange. Once again, she experienced that uncomfortable sensation she got when he demonstrated how well he knew her. They weren't friends, she had to remember that. She had fallen into that trap before and look where it had got her – Tyler was dead, Stefan was kidnapped and she was semi-trapped in Klaus's safe house. He may play at being the host but she knew she was his prisoner as much as Marcel was. She accepted the drink with a glare.

"Well?" she asked. "What did he say?"

"Nothing of use, I'm afraid," Klaus drawled. "He'd tracked Sophie to that location through informants and had gone out there to have it out with her, only to find out he'd bitten off more than he could chew."

"No news of Stefan and Katherine?" Caroline asked, frowning thoughtfully.

Klaus shrugged. "It didn't come up, love," he said. "To be honest, I was more interested in who the new big bad was."

"Seriously?" she asked. "Give me my phone." She scowled at his hesitation. "Tyler is dead, remember? I've nobody to betray you to anymore." The harsh words had the desired effect and, stiffly, he reached into his pocket and handed her the cell phone.

"What are you doing?" he eventually asked, as he realised she wasn't actually calling anyone.

"I'm looking for a – ah!" triumphantly, she held up a phone, showing him the photo on her screen. It was of Elena and Stefan. He blinked and then nodded slowly as he understood. Showing Marcel a photo of Elena was as good as showing him a photo of Katherine.

"No staking," he said dryly, as he led the way. "And no beheading either."

"I left my sword at home," Caroline said flatly.

He stilled and turned to look at her. "I mean it, Caroline, I need him alive, at least for now. I want your word."

Caroline crossed her arms. "Oh, _now_ you'll accept my word."

Klaus sighed. "I don't want to fight with you now, love," he said gently. "Just give me your word."

"Are you trying to be _nice_ to me, Klaus?" Caroline asked harshly. "How about you stick to your usual asshole ways and stop creeping me out." He flinched, a direct hit, and Caroline felt a moment of satisfaction before she gave herself a mental kick. A contrite Klaus was easier to manage than a defensive Klaus.

But, apparently, today Klaus wasn't biting. He gave her a long look. "Your _word_."

"Fine," Caroline snapped. "My _word_."

He let the silence drag on for a moment longer before turning to open the door. He led the way downstairs. It seemed her word only went so far. The steps were made of poured concrete and the basement had a stark, barebones look about it. No attempt had been made to partition it and the walls, were made of mortared stone, with iron rings attached at intervals – for chains, Caroline belatedly realised, as she noticed Marcel attached to the far wall. No Mikaelson home was complete without a dungeon.

Klaus threw her sly, sideways look and gave her a mock half bow. "Caroline, may I present Marcel, King of New Orleans," he drawled.

Marcel opened his swollen eyes and gave her a cool look. He stank of vervein and dried blood, and his clothes were in shreds. Caroline refused to feel sorry for him. This was the bastard who'd led Tyler to his death. Chin high, she stalked across the room and held up her phone.

"Did you see either of these people at the cabin?" she asked.

He stiffened, his eyes riveted on the screen. "That's him," he said hoarsely. "That's the one who did it."

It took Caroline a moment to realise what he was saying, and her hand spasmed with shock, letting go of the phone. Klaus grabbed it before it hit the concrete floor and Caroline stumbled back.

Klaus reached out, grabbing her wrist. "Stefan didn't do this," he said lowly. Caroline looked at him, grasping for hope in his face, before she looked back at Marcel.

"I'm telling you," Marcel said. "It was _him."_

"The witch might have done something to him," Caroline said uncertainly, her eyes veering back to Klaus. "Maybe she found a way to make him revert to the Ripper."

"Ripper or not, Caroline, Stefan is still less than 200 years old," he said. "There is no way he could kill all those vampires single handed." That made Caroline pause and she gave Marcel a piercing look.

"I'm not lying," Marcel insisted. "What would I have to gain from doing so?"

Klaus looked at him darkly. "I could think of a few reasons

A low cough came from behind them and Caroline swerved on her feet, clutching at Klaus's arm as she watched a lean figure come down the steps, a dark grin on his face.

"Kol," Klaus breathed, and Caroline clutched at his arm tighter as she realised she wasn't seeing things.

"Hello, brother," Kol said. "Can anyone join this party or is this a private event?"

 


	19. Check

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I know, I know, it’s been a while, but hopefully this a sign that I’m getting my writing groove back on. Thanks so much to those who took the time to review or a kudo. It’s always a wonderful thrill to see a new notification in my inbox!

Kol couldn’t help but be amused at the scene in front of him. The scene has all the hallmarks of a peculiarly bloody diorama. Klaus with his lady love, in a torture chamber with a mutilated vampire; a typical Mikaelson’s romance, really.

“Hello, brother,” he said. “Anything to eat around here, I’m starving.” The startled uncertainty in his brother’s eyes was a thing to behold and Kol resolved to come back from the dead more often just to savour moments like this... well, no, maybe not. Dying is overrated and very unpleasant.

It was Caroline who broke the silent impasse. “Aren’t you supposed to be dead?”

Kol smirked. “I got a weekend pass,” he said.

“Right… let me guess,” Caroline sighed. “It’s a long story.”

“Not really,” Kol said. “Silas woke up when Bonnie died. Stefan is his doppelganger. Bonnie wants to rescue Stefan, Katherine and her mother from his clutches, and kill him.”

“Huh,” Caroline said. “Succinct.” Another beat. “It was Silas who killed Tyler, not Stefan.”

“Yup, pretty much,” Kol said, with a shrug, he made of show of not noticing how she leaned into Klaus as if expecting comfort from him. He looked around the room, his eyes resting on a familiar face. “Marcel, old pal, nice to see you.”

“Kol,” Marcel said hoarsely. “I’d shake hands but…”

“Yeah, torture is a bitch,” Kol said. “Well, this is fun and all, but I think it’s fair to say I’ve had my fill of dark and dreary places over the last while. Shall we continue this upstairs?”

He turned and stalked up the stairs, grinning to himself. He could almost sense the brewing outburst from Niklaus. He was honestly surprised he hadn’t been slammed into a wall yet.

“Wait!” Sighing, Kol turned to see Marcel gathering himself and standing on his feet. “I want in,” he said, through gritted teeth.”

“I’m sure you do, mate,” Klaus said, with smug satisfaction. “But it’s not going to happen.”

“Oh, I beg to differ,” Marcel said, his eyes burning. “You may be older and stronger than me, Klaus, but even chained to this wall I’m still the one who holds the power in this city. I know the players, I know this city, and for all your huffing and puffing, you’re out of touch. You need me and I want my revenge. Those were my men.”

Klaus looked at Marcel silently and Caroline, the saucy little minx, glared at him balefully. 

“Oh my god, you’re actually contemplating it – you’re really thinking about setting him free!”

Kol leaned against the wall. This was so much more fun when he wasn’t watching it from the other side. He could practically see the gears running in Klaus’s mind as he weighed the tactical advantage of having Marcel on his side versus his sweetheart’s wrath. He hadn’t seen the crafty old bastard this conflicted in years.

“Silas has Stefan, Caroline,” he said eventually.

“Oh yes,” Caroline scoffed. “Suddenly you’re concerned with Stefan’s safety – it has nothing to do with Katherine’s new re-categorisation as a human, of course. I don’t see why you have to let him go free – can’t you just drain him of vervein and compel him?” Klaus quirked an eyebrow at Caroline’s newly emerging mean streak before throwing Marcel another look. 

“Actually love, I think you may be onto something,” he said, with a sly grin.

“Oh, I’m sure you’d enjoy watching me bleed out,” Marcel said flatly. “But compelling me won’t gain you access to my ace in the hole. A very powerful witch who will spot a compulsion from a mile off and, trust me, things won’t go well for you if she thinks you’re forcing me to work with you against my will.”

“Your witch,” Klaus said archly. “How very proprietary of you, and why would I need the services of your witch?”

Marcel smirked. “Because she’s my secret weapon,” he said. “She can tell when a witch uses magic and she can pinpoint the location – and you said there was a ritual involved.”

“Small point,” Kol said, raising his hand. “I already know where Silas is, he’s in this little cabin in the bayou-"

“He’s moved,” Caroline and Klaus growled, as one.

“Oh, how inconvenient,” Kol sighed. “Listen, I’m getting peckish and we all know we’re going to need him to track down Silas, so why don’t we just cut through all the posturing and release him.”

“Is he always this irritating?” Caroline asked, through gritted teeth.

“Why do you think I kept putting him back in his box?”

“Because you’re narcissistic over-controlling troll?”

“You say the sweetest things, love.”

Kol felt another flicker of amusement as a small snarll of frustration escaped Caroline’s lips. “Oh, just cut him down already,” she said, as she spun on her heel and stalked up the steps, glaring at Kol as she stalked past him. “I am so over this family.”

Kol placed a dramatic hand over his heart. “I’m crushed, love,” he said, as he followed her up the steps. “But maybe I can worm my way into your heart with a little bit of good news – when we kill Silas, Bonnie can use his death to bring herself back to life.”

She froze on the steps, her back rigid for a moment before she continued on and disappeared through the doorway. He pouted disappointedly. He’d been expecting a more upbeat response.

“If you didn’t know about Silas moving, you probably don’t know about the bloodbath that ensued. Silas killed the wolf boy she was so fond of.” Klaus suddenly said, correctly gauging his brother’s expression.

Kol contemplated telling Klaus that there might be a chance of bringing Tyler back from the dead as well if Bonnie succeeded in her plan but then decided against it. He wanted Klaus fully on board and bringing back his lady love’s boytoy from the dead would not be a point in the plan’s favour as far as Klaus was concerned. He shrugged. “Right,” he said, rubbing his hands together. “Let’s get this show on the road.”

~8~

It was the feeling of helplessness that hurt the most. Bonnie watched as Silas bundled his captives into the back of the lorry. Her mother seemed curiously quiet and watchful and he wondered what was going through her mind. Sophie seemed to be in a semi catatonic state and Stefan and Katherine were obviously plotting something. Bonnie just hoped that it didn’t get them killed. Silas slammed the truck shut before turning to werewolves with a predatory smile on his face.

“Sorry about this. It’s nothing personal but things aren’t going as smoothly as I’d like so I need a distraction. I need you to go to the quarter and bite every single vampire you meet.” Bonnie watched as the compulsion took hold of the werewolves’ minds before the ancient immortal swung himself into the cab. “Nice knowing you,” he said, with a final wave. “But I don’t think we’ll be meeting again.”

The lorry engine purred alive and Bonnie sighed as it trundled down the road. The werewolves shuffled uneasily, obviously trying to strain against the compulsion, but Bonnie knew they wouldn’t be able to resist for long. She’d seen Silas get into the head of an Original even before he’d gorged himself on blood for an entire summer. 

She sensed a presence behind and stilled. “Hello, Tyler,” she said softly, turning to see her childhood friend staring back at her with a bewildered expression on his face.

“I’m dead,” he stated, but it was a half question, as if he were still unsure of the outcome.

Bonnie nodded. “Yes, I’m sorry.”

“If I’m dead, why am I here?” he muttered. “Why aren’t I…I don’t know, drinking afterlife wine or something?” 

“Honestly? I don’t know,” Bonnie said. “Only you can answer that question.” She turned and nodded at the scene unfolding before them. “Maybe some unfinished business?” His eyes broke contact, but not before Bonnie saw a flicker of pain in them. 

“Why can’t I hear them?” he asked. “It’s like they’re on mute or something.”

“It’s the veil,” Bonnie supplied. “Eventually you’ll get the knack of hearing that they’re saying through it, but it takes time.”

Tyler nodded slowly. “What did he say?” he asked, as they watched Silas’s truck disappear into the brush. 

“Oh, you know, the usual,” Bonnie prevaricated. “Death and destruction, ritual and sacrifice.”

“Same old, same old,” Tyler muttered. 

“Yeah,” Bonnie said sadly. “I guess so.”

~8~

Unsettled, Klaus watched Kol leaning against the fireplace with a wild grin on his face. If he were honest with himself, he had to admit that for a moment he entertained the idea that it wasn’t his brother at all but Silas wearing his face. But no amount of mind reading can replicate that peculiar mix of mischievous cockiness, and homicidal ennui that was his brother specialised in.

Rebekah stared at him with a longing expression on her face, as if she was barely restraining herself from throwing herself at him. There was something odd going on there. It was uncharacteristic of Rebekah to refrain from acting on her emotions. Elijah seemed pleased but wary and Matthew seemed more bewildered than anything else… and Caroline.

Caroline was a tightly wound coil of hurt and rage just waiting to go off. He knew she was more a hindrance than help in her current state, and that his needs might be better served by placing her in the shackles that he’d taken off Marcel until she had cooled off, but he could just not bring himself to do it. 

“So, let me get this straight,” Marcel said. “This Silas character is a 2,000 year old immortal that can get into anyone’s head and impersonate whoever he wishes… and his big diabolical plan is to die? Well, I for one have no issues helping him with that.”

“There’s more to it than that,” Elijah muttered. “Silas wishes to be reunited with his lost love… and as his lost love was human and he was a witch before he was made immortal, they will be eternally kept apart. So, in order to get his wish, he needs to tear down the veil and destroy the other side. 

“Still not seeing the problem,” drawled Marcel. 

“Trust me, Marcel, there are many problems inherent in Silas’s plan, but one issue comes to mind – your daylight ring is madeby a New Orleans witch, and the witches in New Orleans rely on their ancestors for their power – power that they’ll lose if the other side is destroyed. As you seem rather fond of your daylight ring, you wouldn’t want it to suddenly stop working, would you?”

“Wait,” Caroline suddenly piped up. “Does that mean, we might also suddenly become human again…I mean, vampires were made with magic too, weren’t they?”

Elijah inclined his head. “No, we will still be vampires. Our Mother grew quite dark in her practices towards the end and while she didn’t embrace the true darkness of Expression, she was a practitioner of blood magic, hence your bloodline’s reliance on you progenitor’s continued wellbeing. 

“So Tyler was telling the truth,” Marcel said softly, before turning to Klaus. “Were you ever going to actually fill me in?”

“And why would I need to do that, my old friend,” Klaus drawled. “I mean, it isn’t as if you were ever going to attempt to assassinate me of something, is it?” There was a flicker of something akin to guilt in Marcel’s expression, and Klaus’s eyes narrowed. Marcel was holding out on him.

But now was not the moment for that discussion.

“What I want to know is why we’re still here,” Caroline said flatly. “Shouldn’t we be popping over to Marcel’s place to pick up his witch and put his minions to work?”

“She’s got a point,” Rebekah said, before frowning. “And I’m saying that way too frequently of late.” Matt let out a little snort of laughter but quickly straightened his face as Rebekah glared at him. His sister definitely had the boy well at heel. As long as she didn’t insist on turning him, he couldn’t object.

“While I am as eager as you to track Silas down, Miss Forbes,” Elijah said. “I think we’re going to need a more substantial plan in order to prevent Silas carrying out his plans.”

“Which is where Bonnie comes in,” Kol said in. “It seems that every immortal being made of magic comes with a built in soft spot, and Silas’s weakness is Quetsiah’s blood.”

Caroline scowled. “I don’t think there’s any of Quetsiah’s blood left,” she said. “Bonnie used it to take down the veil last time.”

“Ah, but you’re forgetting one thing, blood magic continues-“

“-down the bloodline,” Caroline finished, as realisation dawned. “Let me guess – Quetsiah started the Bennett line.”

Kol grinned. “Not bad for a cheerleader.”

Klaus watched with abstract fascination as the veins around Caroline’s darkened as she glared at Kol, and it took him a second to realise that she was actually on the brink of pouncing on his brother. In a flash, he was across the room, and had her pulled into the hallway before she could resist. 

“What are you doing?” she hissed at him. “Let go of me!”

“Not until you calm down, love.”

“You did not just tell me to calm down!”

“I believe I did. You were about to pick a fight with an Original who has no investment in keeping you alive. I think it’s fair to say you’re a little riled up.”

“So what if I was? It’s no business of yours.”

He’d never actually seen her fangs before, only felt their sting when she bit into his wrist. They were delicate little daggers that flashed cutely as she snarled at him. He smiled. 

“What’s so damned funny?”

It was an impulsive move, but he seemed incapable of calculation in her presence. He captured her lips before she could protest, and almost immediately felt the sharp slice of her fangs as they bit into his lower lip and made him bleed. She was a vicious little thing when she was angry. Vicious but willing.

Hands grasped tightly at the nape of his neck, as her tongue slid into his mouth. He was unsure as to whether she wanted to deepen the kiss or get a better taste of his blood but at this moment in time he didn’t really care. He felt her leg wrap around him as she looked for leverage and he obliged by lifting her against him, pinning her against the wall as his hands found their way up her skirt, skimming along the warm firm flesh of her thighs before palming her ass. 

“Oh, for crying out loud! You two decide that now is the right time to start making out?” 

Rebekah’s not so dulcet tones broke through his haze of lust and he felt Caroline pull away. He let her legs fall to the floor but refused to let her slip from his grasp. His raging hard on was hard to miss, as was the scent of her arousal. There was no point in hiding it. 

“What’s going on?” Matt asked as he stepped out into the hallway after Rebekah.

“Oh, nothing, just my brother proving once again he can’t keep it in his pants.” 

Sensing Caroline stiffen beside him, Klaus contemplated daggering Rebekah for another spell. Another century or so would suffice. “Do you have anything actually worthwhile to say, or did you just come out here to comment on my personal life, sister,” he said tightly. 

She smirked knowingly. “Elijah has come up with a plan.”

Klaus resisted the urge to groan. Elijah’s plans never went as smoothly as he hoped, as the recent debacle with the witches and werewolf proved. “Oh, I can’t wait,” he said flatly.

“I knew you’d be pleased,” Rebekah said, as Elijah, Kol and Marcel appeared. “First stop? Confession!” she spun on her heels and headed for the door, and he felt Caroline lean into him. 

“Is it just me, or did that make zero sense?” she muttered.

“Welcome to New Orleans, love. At least the food is good.”


End file.
